Two people thus far have pleaded guilty to an attempted robbery and assault on Warrenton resident Airk Rader in 2017, but no charges have ever been issued for Rader’s shooting death that …
This item is available in full to subscribers.
We have recently launched a new and improved website. To continue reading, you will need to either log into your subscriber account, or purchase a new subscription.
If you are a digital subscriber with an active subscription, or you are a print subscriber who had access to our previous wesbite, then you already have an account here. Just reset your password if you have not yet logged in to your account on this new site.
If you are a current print subscriber and did not have a user account on our previous website, you can set up a free website account by clicking here.
Otherwise, click here to view your options for subscribing.
Please log in to continue |
Two people thus far have pleaded guilty to an attempted robbery and assault on Warrenton resident Airk Rader in 2017, but no charges have ever been issued for Rader’s shooting death that happened less than two months later.
Last week Ashton N. Roach, 21, of Fredericktown, pleaded guilty to charges of assault, attempted robbery and burglary stemming from an armed home invasion at Rader’s house on Township Line Road on Aug. 8, 2017. Roach is one of four people accused of participating in the crime.
The alleged ringleader of the attack, Jack T. Huck, 24, of Ste. Genevieve, pleaded guilty in June to similar charges. He and Roach were both sentenced to 10 years in prison by Presiding 12th Circuit Judge Jason Lamb.
Two other suspects, Dakota W. McCain, 22, of Marquand, and Seth D. Ault, 21, of Silva, have yet to be tried for the attack. Both remain in custody with no bond.
When the felony charges were first issued in 2018, investigators with the Warren County Sheriff’s Department said they believed Rader had been indebted to a criminal marijuana distribution network allegedly led by Huck. Huck and the three other suspects are accused of planning the assault and robbery of Rader to recover the debt, with one suspect allegedly promising to bring a bat and break Rader’s knees, according to investigators.
On Aug. 8, 2017, after coordinating with Huck, suspects McCain, Roach and Ault are accused of entering Rader’s residence on Township Line Road while armed with a pipe and tire iron. They allegedly used the weapons to demand money from Rader, but were chased away by Rader’s roommate who was armed with a handgun.
In addition to the felony charges in Warren County, Huck, McCain and Ault were also swept up and convicted in a federal investigation of Huck’s alleged marijuana network. Huck was sentenced in February 2020 to more than seven years in federal prison, while McCain and Ault were each sentenced to about three years in prison.
Roach, the suspect who was just convicted in Warren County, was the only one of the four who wasn’t included in the federal convictions.
Information about the break-in and assault on Rader came to light only after Rader was shot to death on Sept. 27, 2017. However, authorities have not stated whether they’ve found any connection between the assault suspects and Rader’s killing. Nearly four years later, no criminal charges have been issued for his death.
