LADDONIA, MO. -- A hearing on whether to charge two teenagers who face charges in an Audrain County murder as adults has been continued.
A new date has not been set. The boys, ages 16 and 14, remained confined Friday.
The juveniles are charged with first-degree murder, kidnapping, felonious restraint and armed criminal action in the Dec. 18, 2009, death of James William Boyd McNeely at a home in Laddonia.
Also facing first-degree murder, kidnapping and armed criminal action charges are 38-year-old Chester C. Harvey Jr. and his 34-year-old wife, Angela D. Harvey, both of Laddonia, and his son, 19-year-old Chad M. Harvey of Eolia.
Three others, 45-year-old Darrill Kirtley Lynn of Farber and 52-year-old Robert Nicholas Allen and 44-year-old Jackie Don Moss, both of Vandalia, are charged with kidnapping.
Authorities say Angela Harvey admitted to telling her husband how to smother to death McNeely, 20, of Columbus, Ohio, in the basement of the Harvey home at 312 Young Street in Laddonia.
Chad Harvey, Allen, Moss, Lynn and the two juveniles were involved in holding the victim against his will or contributing to his death, according to investigators.
Deputies acting on a tip found McNeely's body Dec. 22 in Vandalia inside a trailer leased to Chester Harvey. Harvey, an over-the-road truck driver, may have picked up McNeely during a run to Florida.
McNeely apparently was staying with the Harveys. Authorities have not discussed motive, but an uncle of McNeely said that weeks before the murder his nephew had spoken of getting involved with the Harveys in the illicit drug trade.
Chester, Chad and Angela Harvey are scheduled for preliminary hearings at 9 a.m. Feb. 24. Lynn and Allen also will be in court that day. Moss will be back in court March 25.
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