Benton County Charges Anthony Balbirnie With Abandonment of Corpse in Truman Lake

On October 8, Anthony James Balbirnie was arrested and charged with abandonment of a body after leading Springfield Police on two car chases.  That arrest led to a person of an interest connected to the murder of Khighla Parks, whose body was found in Truman Lake.  Balbirnie was formally charged October 10 in Warsaw, Missouri and pleaded not guilty. 

Balbirnie will face another court hearing on November 27 and was held at the Benton County Jail on $150,000 bond.  Balbirnie was taken to the Fulton State Prison for a violation warrant from Missouri Probation and Parole.

The Dallas County Sheriff's Office is still investigating the murder case.  Nobody has formally been charged with the murder of Parks, but some persons of interest have been followed up.

If you have information regarding the disappearance or death of Khighla Parks, you’re encouraged to call, the Benton County Sheriff’s Office at 660-438-5252; the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office at 417-345-8207; Buffalo Police Department at 417-345-8207; Greene County Sheriff’s Office at 417-868-4040; Missouri State Highway Patrol Troop A at 816-622-0800; Missouri State Highway Patrol Troop D at 417-895-6868; or Crime Stoppers at 417-869-8477.