An investigation into the death of two young Texas County children is under way this week by multiple agencies.
The bodies of the two boys, ages 4 and 7, were found early Monday morning in the Big Piney River a short distance from the rented home of their grandparents. Wyatt Earp Bagley, 4, and Jesse James Bagley, 7, lived there with their mother, Jennifer.
A 3-year-old sister, who has since been removed from the home by a unit within the Missouri Department of Social Services, sparked the search for the boys late Sunday afternoon after she reported them missing to adults in the house, authorities said. The disappearance brought a search that led to the discovery of the boys’ bodies.
“There are some issues that are not good that we are looking at,” confirmed Texas County Sheriff Carl Watson on Tuesday. A meeting was Wednesday to further discuss the case. Watson believes charges will be filed in the case.
The boys, their sister and mother had lived on Hazelton Drive northwest of Licking with their grandparents for about a year. The residence, owned by a Florida man, is a short distance from the banks of the Big Piney River.
A father survives. He is James P. Bagley, 30, who is an inmate at the South Central Corrections Center at Licking, where he is serving a sentence on a controlled substance charge, according to prison records.
Watson said his department is familiar with Jennifer Bagley through investigations related to Ryan L. Blazier, her boyfriend, who is held at the Texas County Jail. Blazier, 25, is in custody on forgery and driving while revoked charges. He also has warrants from St. Louis County on probation violation, in Dent County in a burglary investigation and at Licking, where he failed to appear on a driving while revoked charge. Jennifer Bagley was placed on probation in March on a passing bad checks charge, records show. Last week, a traffic offense was referred to the county prosecutor’s office after she failed to pay a fine from a June offense, according to court documents.
An attempt to reach Bagley at the home of her mother on Tuesday was unsuccessful. The mother explained she was trying to reach her daughter, who had spent Monday night with a friend, to make funeral arrangements and learn more about the status of the granddaughter.