Wykert murder trial moved to Nodaway County

MAYSVILLE — Newly appointed Nodaway County Judge Roger Prokes approved moving accused murderer Kenneth Wykert’s trial to Nodaway County at the request of Defense Attorney Joshua Smith. 

Making his first appearance since DeKalb County Judge Brent Elliot appointment him to oversee the trial and pre-trial proceedings, Prokes granted Smith’s request for a change of venue citing media coverage as well as the Facebook page ‘Justice for Leah’ for the relocation – forcing Leah Dawson’s parents 150 miles round trip to attend each day of the trial. 

“It’s going to be a drive, but we will be there every single day,” said ‘Justice for Leah’ Co-Founder Travis Eldredge, who created the page with wife Tonya Eldredge and are the parents of slain Cameron mother-of-two Leah Dawson. “It’s moving right along. He hasn’t pleaded yet. They’re concerned about publicity and too much media coverage. What do you expect? Somebody was murdered in Northwest Missouri.”

READ MORE IN THIS WEEK’S EDITION OF THE CAMERON CITIZEN-OBSERVER.