U.S. Attorney Teresa A. Moore | US Attorney - Western District of Missouri
A Joplin man, Freddie Lewis Tilton, known as "Ol' Boy," has been sentenced to life in federal prison without parole for his involvement in a kidnapping conspiracy that led to the torture and death of a victim. U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool handed down the sentence.
Tilton pleaded guilty on September 19, 2023, to charges related to the kidnapping conspiracy and two counts of being a felon in possession of firearms. He received one life term and two concurrent 10-year terms for these offenses.
In a separate case involving another victim, Tilton was found guilty at trial on September 17, 2024, of conspiracy to commit kidnapping, kidnapping, and stalking. For this case, he was sentenced to two concurrent 30-year terms and one 10-year term, also served concurrently with his previous sentence.
The initial case involved the abduction of a victim identified as "M.H." in July 2020. Tilton is among six defendants who have pleaded guilty and been sentenced. James B. Gibson received a 30-year sentence; Lawrence William Vaughan got 25 years; Amy Kay Thomas was sentenced to 20 years; Carla Jo Ward received a 10-year sentence; and Russell Eugene Hurtt was given seven years.
Tilton offered money to Ward and Vaughan to locate M.H., who was then taken to Vaughan's residence where Tilton and others assaulted him. M.H. suffered severe injuries before being fatally shot by Tilton.
Law enforcement discovered M.H.'s body on Hurtt's property after executing a search warrant on July 28, 2020. During the operation, Tilton fired shots at officers but was eventually apprehended.
Tilton's criminal history includes multiple felony convictions for burglary, larceny of an automobile, stealing, possession of controlled substances, unlawful use of weapons, theft, tampering, and other offenses.
In another incident days after M.H.'s death but before his arrest, Tilton conspired with Alvin Dale Boyer to kidnap another victim identified as "S.T." Boyer was found guilty alongside Tilton on September 17, 2024.
The second victim escaped from a motel room in Neosho after being assaulted by Tilton. Officers later found evidence indicating a violent struggle had occurred inside the room.
These cases were prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ami Harshad Miller with investigations conducted by the FBI along with local law enforcement agencies including Newton County Sheriff's Office and Neosho Police Department.
