Police investigating after allegations of spiked drinks at Inner Circle Vodka Bar
Numerous women have stepped forward over the past week to share their experiences consuming what they suspect were spiked drinks at Inner Circle Vodka Bar. In response, the downtown Springfield bar is increasing security, training staff and asking those with information to reach out to bar management or the police.
Between the start of the year and March 9, four police reports had been filed involving alleged spiked drinks at Inner Circle, city communications director Cora Scott confirmed. In response to those reports, the police department has opened an investigation but declined to provide further details at this time.
The News-Leader spoke with five women who said they consumed spiked drinks at Inner Circle; four within the last three months and one in fall 2021.
Recent conversations about spiked drinks at the bar, at the northeast corner of Walnut Street and Campbell Avenue downtown, began to circulate in a private Facebook Group, "Missouri State Gals Advice/Recommendations" when a 21-year-old Missouri State University student shared her experience in the group.
The News-Leader reached out to the 21-year-old, asking if she would be interested in expanding on the story she shared online. She wished to remain anonymous for the protection of her privacy.
The student said she was "basically sober" when she arrived at the bar Friday, March 3, at around 10:30 p.m., having had only a "sip" of a mixed drink beforehand. At the bar, she had three shots and a vodka lemonade. She said drinking this amount of alcohol is common for her; she is usually coherent after drinking this much.
Around 12:30 a.m., the 21-year-old was driven home by friends, which is when she began "feeling really weird," she said. Once home, she threw up three to four times before being moved to her bed. She described feeling "stuck," aware of what was going on around her, but unable to move or talk.
The next morning, she woke up feeling ill, but not like any hangover she had ever experienced, she said.
"I felt a high that I never felt before," the 21-year-old said. "It literally felt like someone took my brain and just rang it out of every thought I ever processed."
For the next two days she was unable think straight or eat full meals, she said. Later in the week, she filed a police report and has been actively encouraging other women in the private Facebook group to do the same if they've had a similar experience.
"I can't even feel comfortable to go out and enjoy drinks with my friend," the student said. "I get uncomfortable around drinks. Now I can't even look at a drink without getting triggered."
The 21-year-old is not the first to share her experience in the private Facebook Group. On Jan. 31, Nicole Harris posted about her experience in the group anonymously. She later commented under her own name on the 21-year-old's post, saying she too had consumed a spiked drink.
In an interview with the News-Leader, Harris, 23, said she visited Inner Circle on Friday, Jan. 27 with a close group of friends and her sister. Before going to the bar, she drank one glass of white wine around 8-9 p.m. Upon arriving at Inner Circle at 10 p.m., Harris ordered a vodka cranberry and two green tea shots. About an hour later, at 11 p.m., she ordered another vodka cranberry and two more green tea shots. Harris said the type and amount of alcohol she drank was typical for her.
Harris said the last thing she remembers from the night at Inner Circle was leaving the bar with her second mixed drink to go to the dance floor. The next thing she recalls is waking up in her bedroom. Harris said her sister later told her that before being moved to her bed she had been "violently vomiting" in her bathroom. Two days later, Harris recalled still feeling nauseated, unable to eat, with a headache. Harris said she was too scared to file a police report at the time.
Bar management says 'no reason to believe' staff are involved
Inner Circle co-owner Andy Cagle said bar management became aware of allegations of spiked drinks being served at the business in late January or early February. In response, the bar's three co-owners began to work at the bar every Friday and Saturday night to oversee their staff, both in front and behind the bar. Cagle added that the bar management also has opened applications to hire additional security guards.
Cagle said the Missouri Department of Public Safety's Alcohol & Tobacco Control visited the bar to test bottles and opened containers behind the bar last week and found no trace of drugs.
The News-Leader contacted the Department of Public Safety on Wednesday. The department was not able to confirm or deny ATC's visit to the bar. ATC works cooperatively with the Springfield Police Department and would have been notified of an open investigation by the police, Department of Public Safety Communications Director Mike O'Connell told the News-Leader.
Inner Circle's only violation recorded by the Department of Public Safety occurred in 2020. The bar operated without a license on Sept. 2, 2020, but the bar renewed its license the next day, O'Connell said.
Cagle said Inner Circle is working with police and turning over any security footage the police request that is available. He added that right now, the bar only has access to security footage dating back about two weeks, but it is working with its security company to gain access to a wider range.
Cagle said bar management is confident in its staff and for the time being have "no reason to believe" its team members are involved in the alleged spiking of drinks.
Bar asks for guests' help in internal investigation
In response to additional allegations shared this month, Inner Circle made its first public comment on Thursday, March 9 on its social media profiles. The bar promised increased security and third-party staff training as preventative measures.
Cagle said the focus of staff training is being more observant, encouraging staff to look beyond their assigned duties and to be aware of all customers around them. Staff have already been trained to stop serving customers when they appear overly intoxicated, he said. To expand on this, staff are being taught how to react if a customer approaches them acting strangely or claiming a drink has been spiked, such as calling an ambulance or the police.
In its social media posts, the bar also encouraged guests to email Cagle incident specifics, including dates, times, and witnesses, so the bar can "proactively use our security footage to identify perpetrators."
Mya Dunham, 21, emailed the bar on Wednesday, March 15 about receiving a spiked drink on New Year's Eve. She received a response about one to two hours later, informing her that the bar was working with its security camera company to obtain footage from the night of her experience. Dunham contacted the News-Leader last week with an interest in sharing her story.
Dunham said she arrived at Inner Circle around 8:30 p.m. on Dec. 31. Before arriving, she drank one mixed drink with vodka, water and MiO, a liquid flavoring, she said. Once at the bar, Dunham ordered a vodka and Sprite drink and a shot of peppermint schnapps, a typical order for her. Dunham said her vodka and Sprite was served in a promotional cup with a lid. Typically, mixed drinks at Inner Circle are served in open cups, she said.
After taking her shot at the bar, Dunham went to the bathroom, which is the last thing she remembers from the night. The next thing she recalled was waking up in a hotel room with a stranger at about 6 a.m. The man was not an employee at the bar, Dunham said.
Dunham said she has a video on her phone walking to the hotel, with a timestamp of around 11:30 p.m., but she does not remember recording it.
Leaving the bar without her friends and leaving with a stranger are both out of character acts, Dunham said. Initially, she did not think much about it, but after seeing a post made in the "Missouri State Gals Advice/Recommendations" Facebook Group on Jan. 1, detailing a similar experience, she began to think differently. Dunham filed a report with the police a couple days later.
Dunham said she uses date rape test strips when she goes out now to ensure she is drinking unadulterated beverages. Date rape test strips can be purchased from various retailers online.
Other women share experiences after drinking at Inner Circle
Catherine Aubuchon also contacted the News-Leader last week, sharing a story similar to Dunham's.
In Sept. 2021, Aubuchon, who was 27 at the time, went to Inner Circle with a few friends. Before arriving, Aubuchon had one shot at another bar; at Inner Circle, she had two mixed drinks. Aubuchon said she does not recall the exact drinks she ordered, but they were likely amaretto sours.
When it comes to remembering what happened that night, Aubuchon recalled ordering her second drink, walking to the bar's outdoor area, being driven to someone's house, sitting with her friend on a couch and then being in bed with a man she did not know. The next day she was "violently vomiting" and experiencing "severe tremors."
Aubuchon said she did not file a police report, but when she saw recent posts in the "Missouri State Gals Advice/Recommendations," she wanted to share her story.
Another young woman, a 22-year-old Missouri State student, contacted the News-Leader last week to share her experience at Inner Circle, which she did not report to the police. She wished to remain anonymous for the protection of her privacy.
The 22-year-old said visited Inner Circle on Saturday, Feb. 18 around 9:30 p.m. with a friend. Beforehand, she drank about one-half of a canned alcoholic seltzer. Once at the bar, she drank two vodka Sprites, as did her friend. After about an hour, the two left for Boogie Cafe, a downtown nightclub. The two each had one shot at Boogie Cafe before starting to feel unwell.
"We weren't paying attention to our surroundings, (we were) all over the place, which is not like us at all," the 22-year-old said. "I thought I was just very, very drunk at the time, but then when we both woke up (the next morning), we both still didn't feel right. My friend said she was crying, saying she felt really high."
The 22-year-old described feeling "paralyzed" in bed, unable to left her head from her pillow. She said the next morning, her limbs felt "tingly" and like they were going to "pop off" her body. This feeling lasted for about three days.
One-star business reviews removed from Google, petition created to shut down bar
In conjunction with an increase in posts in the Facebook Group about these incidents, online users began to leave public reviews for the bar on Google, both one-star reviews and comments describing women receiving spiked drinks. Last week, there were around 100 Google reviews for the bar, about 45 of them posted within 48 hours after the Missouri State student's initial post. As of Tuesday, 69 Google reviews remain public, three of these made within the past week.
Businesses can request a review's removal if it violates Google's policies. Google also uses automated spam detection to remove reviews it deems to be spam.
Cagle said bar management only requested the removal of one Google review, a negative review associated with ongoing allegations, posted on the Tulsa, Oklahoma Inner Circle Vodka Bar location.
In addition, Springfield resident Brianna Banker started a Change.org petition, "Shut Down Inner Circle - Springfield, MO" last week. As of Tuesday, the petition has more than 290 signatures.
"Inner Circle needs to be shut down," the petition's description reads. "It's incredibly unsafe and disgusting. Everyone should raise awareness about this bar and really think about if you'd want any of your loved ones risking their safety for a 'good time.'"
Cagle said his team is aware of the petition, but he hopes folks know that the bar's owners are just as concerned as they are about these allegations.
"This is a problem ... in the bar industry, college towns, anywhere you go," Cagle told the News-Leader. He encouraged folks going out to bars to always do so in groups.
Bar hosts livestream videos to showcase transparency
Over the weekend, Inner Circle hosted livestream videos on Vimeo, captured by GoPro cameras behind the bar, to show staff working. These videos were hosted as part of the bar's efforts in being transparent, Cagle said.
The first livestream began at 10 p.m. on Friday, March 10, Inner Circle co-owner Nicole Bator said. However, the camera's battery only lasted one hour, so they had to stop the livestream and charge the camera's battery before starting up the stream again. On Saturday, March 11, the livestream began at midnight, the busiest time of night for the bar, Bator said.
No incidents of spiking or drugging drinks were caught on the livestream videos.
What are common symptoms of date rape drugs?
Greene County Prosecuting Attorney Dan Patterson said folks going to bars and clubs should be aware of common symptoms of date rape drugs and fentanyl, which can have harmful side effects. Common symptoms include:
Feeling dizzy, faint or sleepy
Experiencing nausea
Speech difficulties, like slurred words
Feeling more intoxicated than expected based on alcohol consumption
Passing out or experiencing blackouts
What should you do if you suspect someone has consumed a spiked drink?
If you suspect that someone has consumed a spiked drink, ensuring they are in a safe space and enlisting trusted help are the two most important first steps, Patterson said.
If the person is still at the place where their drink was spiked, get the person away from the situation and people there so the person is no longer at risk of consuming more drugs. Ideally, get them in a space where they feel most comfortable, like at home. This could prevent further crimes or sexual assault.
If the person reports symptoms later in the day or the following day, make sure the person is not in harm's way. For example, do not allow someone who believes they are still impacted by date rape drugs to drive a car.
Once the person is in a safe, comfortable space, seek support from trusted family members, friends or establishment management for further protection. Then, get the person to an emergency room or doctor. Medical professionals can help manage potential harm, conduct drug testing, determine if assault occurred and help the person file a report with the police, Patterson said.
If you suspect that your drink has been spiked while in a public place and you are alone, call 911 for help. The Victim Center also has advocates available 24-7 to assist those in need. The Victim Center can be reached at 417-863-7273.
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Police investigating allegations of spiked drinks at Inner Circle bar
