Esphorst said Piles investigated a 911 call for help originating from a cellular phone in the Held’s Island area of Gasconade County early May 30. Gasconade Central Dispatch was able to track the caller — who was in a moving vehicle — through the Bay area and then to an address in Bland.

Esphorst said the initial call was placed at 2:50 a.m. “They (dispatchers) knew the vehicle was on the move but they just didn’t know where at first,” said Esphorst. He said Piles initially responded to the Helds Island area. As information was relayed from dispatchers, lawmen headed to Bland.

“Deputy Pile was able to then make contact with a 22-year-old female who stated than she had been raped and that the alleged perpetrator was inside her house,” noted the sheriff’s report. “Deputy Piles, who by now was assisted by Gasconade County Deputy Sheriff Michael Coon, located the alleged perpetrator in the victim’s living room, where he was placed under arrest without incident. That male subject is identified as 21-year-old Joshua K. Wells, of Belle.”

Esphorst said the woman, who was not identified by the sheriff’s office, repeatedly asked to be let out of the car. “She said she kept saying stop the car, stop the car, but he didn’t,” said Esphorst.

Their path back to Bland was tracked from the Held’s Island Road river access to Fowler Road near Bay and eventually back into the woman’s home in the city limits of Bland.

“The victim also stated she was threatened that if she didn’t keep her mouth shut she would be killed,” said Esphorst recounting comments Wells allegedly made to the woman.