A Rolla, MO, man received a suspended 15-year prison sentence after entering an Alford plea in a Barry County livestock theft case.
Melvin J. Fincher entered the plea Aug. 11 in Barry County Circuit Court. The court suspended the sentence, placed Fincher on five years of supervised probation, and ordered him to pay restitution. The Missouri State Highway Patrol said its Rural Crimes Investigation Unit began investigating Fincher after the Polk County sheriff requested help with a September 2025 cattle theft.
Investigators said Fincher was also identified as a possible suspect in other cattle thefts. Authorities said Fincher was charged Feb. 11 with stealing livestock or wildlife with a prior offense and arrested March 9 in Neosho, MO.
