On April 8, 2020, the Lewis County Sheriff's Office was contacted by a resident reporting a 1999 Dodge 1500 pickup had been stolen from their property on Highway 81, rural Canton, Missouri.  Later that day, the sheriff's office was contacted by the Rall's County Sheriff's Department who had located the vehicle on Silvers Lane, Hannibal, Missouri.  They apprehended Mitchell K. Shields, age 30, who identified as homeless, in the vehicle. 

On April 9, 2020, Mr. Shields was formally charged in the Lewis County Associate Court.  He was charged with one count of stealing, a class D felony, for the theft of the pickup.  Mr. Shields was also charged with one count of trespassing and one count of misdemeanor stealing.  These charges stem from an incident that occurred on April 6 in rural Lewis County.  Mr. Shields was caught on video surveillance on a farm located north of Canton. 

Mr. Shields, who is a prior convicted felon, remains lodged in the Lewis County Jail on no bond due to him being a flight risk and a threat to the community. 

We would like to thank the Rall's County Sheriff's Department for their assistance as well as the numerous citizens who have commented or shared this information.

**** All subjects are presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law.****