NEOSHO, Mo. - Two men have been arrested in the death of a 9-year-old girl whose body was found Friday in a hillside cave in southwest Missouri, authorities said. Newton County Sheriff Ken Copeland identified one as a 24-year-old male and the other as a man of about the same age.


Their identities were not released because charges have not yet been filed, he said.

The body of Rowan Ford was found on private land about 10 miles south of the girl's hometown of Stella, a village of about 200 people, Copeland said.

Authorities believe she was killed in adjacent Barry County and her body was taken to nearby McDonald County, he said.

Copeland referred questions to the Barry County sheriff, who did not immediately return a phone call.

Copeland had said earlier that authorities were still determining how the girl died.

"We know we have a homicide," Copeland said, declining to elaborate.

The McDonald County deputy who found the body had searched the area on his way to work after recalling that there was a cavern there, Copeland said. The FBI was gathering the evidence at the scene.

Stella Mayor Bill Alsop, who answered the phone at the family's home Friday, said the girl's mother was "pretty shook up" when Copeland came to the home that morning and told her the body was very likely Rowan's.

"He told her they found the body of the little girl, and they were 99 percent sure it was her daughter," Alsop said.

Rowan was reported missing after her mother, Colleen Spears, returned home early Nov. 3 from a night shift at a Wal-Mart.

The girl's stepfather, David Spears, told investigators he and two male friends were with Rowan the night before until they went out around 10:45 p.m. He returned home around midnight but did not check on the girl, Copeland said.

David Spears also later told authorities that he called his mother sometime after 1 a.m. and asked to use her vehicle, Copeland has said. She took it to him about half an hour later, then stayed at his house while her son left in her vehicle for about 5 1/2 hours, Copeland has said.

Copeland also has said that Spears has not been able to explain what he did during that time. He has not been accused of a crime.

David Spears declined to comment. He has been staying at his mother's house outside Stella since Rowan's disappearance.

"He's pretty torn up. He's extremely distraught. He's been crying quite a bit," his mother, Myrna Spears, said.

His mother declined to answer any questions about what happened that night. David Spears previously has said that it was wrong for him to leave the girl alone.

Current Mood: contemplative
Current Music: FRNK Radio

ARTIST: ALICIA KEYS

ALBUM: AS I AM

NEW YORK (Billboard) - Alicia Keys' considerable talents are no secret six years after her auspicious debut, "Songs in A Minor." However, those gifts shine with a ripening maturity and depth on her third studio outing. From the opening strains of the classical overture that introduces this aptly titled album, Keys continues to fearlessly resist the cookie-cutter norm. On her most personal record to date, love (of self, a significant other, family) and life lessons are the primary themes. The strong stories that Keys spins are complemented by deft musical arrangements that integrate more rock and pop into her enriched old-school vibe. Beyond hit single "No One," notable tracks include the female anthems "Superwoman" and "Go Ahead," and the drum- and horn-embellished "I Need You."

ARTIST: THE HIVES

ALBUM: THE BLACK AND WHITE ALBUM

Seven years after breaking out of Sweden's eternal garage-revival scene, this color-coordinated quintet has somehow created its liveliest, most playable album. Its cartoon-tuneful energy pogos all over the place: an opening volley of blowing stuff up ("Tick Tick Boom"), an expert AC/DC homage about being broke ("Square One Here I Come"), equestrian Pixies new wave ("Giddy Up!"), 1966 frat-rock party voices, Motown basslines under laughs and cackles and yelps. Howlin' Pelle Almqvist has an awesome knack for turning simple declarative mantras into hooks ("I was right all along," "I can't go on and I gotta get goin'," "Whatcha gonna do? Here he comes for you"). And when tempos occasionally downshift (Eric Burdon's baritone verses on "Won't Be Long," creepy crawly keyboards during "Puppet on a String," even a robotically falsetto-ed Prince-circa-"Kiss" attempt on the Pharrell-helmed "T.H.E.H.I.V.E.S."), the fun still doesn't drain away.

ARTIST: SEAL

ALBUM: SYSTEM

Somewhere between brain music and body music sits Seal. His enlistment of former dance/electronic artist Stuart Price to produce his fifth full-length doesn't represent a move in one of those directions. After Seal's singular baritone -- which is getting even more pleasingly throaty as he ages -- the songs are the focus here. Some hum and build like good club tracks ("Loaded"); some launch as acoustic guitar pieces and pick up steady kick drums along the way ("Dumb," album standout "Rolling"). But they're all melodious, lyrical and as intimate as any singer/songwriter's sparser work. Even a duet with wife Heidi Klum ("Wedding Day") is more sweet than saccharine.

ARTIST: BOYZ II MEN

ALBUM: MOTOWN: A JOURNEY THROUGH HITSVILLE USA

Responsible for bestowing incredible harmony upon early-'90s R&B, Boyz II Men always sounded like they were straight outta Motown. So it's only fitting that the quartet would cover classics from their Motown-era predecessors. Here, there are goodies like the Temptations' "Just My Imagination," Marvin Gaye's "Mercy Mercy Me" and the Miracles' "Tracks of My Tears." While the majority of the cuts expertly merge the group's melodic vocals, the aggressive chants of Edwin Starr's "War" are unbefitting an act known for silky ballads. Staying true to the original versions of songs, the compilation offers little if any innovation, but that barely matters. If Boyz II Men were to time-warp back to the '60s, with the right matching attire and nifty two-steps, they'd blend right in.

ARTIST: SHAGGY

ALBUM: INTOXICATION

Shaggy uses "Intoxication" to once again show that while he and his crew can crank out solid pop, they can match it with cuts that genuinely rock the dancehall. The thing is, everyone knows he can do pop. What he needs to do now is just crank out a full disc of bangers. It's the point proved by his new album's boastful opening track, "Can't Hold Me," and the raunchy rhythm driving the sexy title song. The foundation of the disc is aimed at the airwaves, and a few songs could easily see chart action. Most are collaborations, like the Rik Rok vehicle "Bonafide Girl" (which lifts the guitar part from Desmond Dekker's "007 Shanty Town"). But best is "Mad Mad World." With Sizzla's soulful hook strewn over a Dre-worthy beat and head-nodding rhymes, it's a fusion of both sides of Shaggy.

Reuters/Billboard