Suspect in fatal March 2 stabbing arrested

John Hacker, The Joplin Globe, Mo.
·2 min read

Mar. 21—NEOSHO, Mo. — Newton County sheriff's deputies on Thursday arrested the second man wanted in the stabbing death more than two weeks ago of Seth R. Lankford, 34, of Carl Junction.

About 3 p.m. Thursday, the sheriff's office posted a notice on its Facebook page alerting people to stay away from the area near Kentucky and State Line roads north of Seneca because deputies were attempting to arrest Scott Burleson, 30, of Wyandotte, Oklahoma.

Newton County Sheriff Chris Jennings said U.S. marshals found Burleson in Arkansas and chased him to the area north of Seneca, where he was arrested without incident.

Burleson was charged March 6 with second-degree murder, first-degree robbery as well as two counts of armed criminal action in Lankford's death.

The second suspect in the case, Paul D. Phillips, 36, Seneca, was arrested March 6 after a vehicle pursuit involving Cherokee County, Kansas, deputies and Joplin police officers that ended at a mobile home near West Seventh Street and Malang Road.

Phillips was still in custody in the Jasper County Jail on Thursday on a no-bond warrant for charges of first degree robbery, armed criminal action, unlawful use of a weapon, unlawful possession of a firearm and vehicle tampering.

A probable-cause affidavit filed with the charges against Burleson states that a witness told investigators that Burleson stabbed Langford three to four times March 2 at a residence on State Line Road near Carl Junction. The witness said that after the stabbing, Burleson pointed the knife at the witness and told him not to call police.

The witness said Burleson was wanting money and marijuana and left the address with an ounce of pot and $7. The affidavit states that Burleson was seen on video footage leaving in a silver 2006 Chevrolet Silverado with two other people.

Another affidavit filed in support of charges against Phillips said Phillips admitted to investigators following his arrest that he was present when Langford was stabbed and that he had pulled out a gun and waved it about following the stabbing. He further stated that he had been holding the gun while Burleson threatened the witness and stole his marijuana and cash.

Phillips purportedly told investigators that he also collected the cellphones of the others at the address as they were leaving and took them to Oklahoma, where he burned them.