Murder suspect granted pre-trial house arrest release

Accused murderer Timothy “Kyle” Sprague, 32, of Gainesville, was released from the Ozark County Jail following a Jan. 20 hearing before Circuit Judge Craig Carter. 

“I am ecstatic that Judge Carter agreed to release Kyle Sprague. He has been incarcerated in Ozark County since July 20, 2020…” Sprague’s defense attorney Christopher Swatosh told the Times Monday. 

The attorney explained that he’d argued to the judge that Sprague should be released on bond prior to his trial during a hearing on Dec. 22, 2021. 

“…Mr. Sprague took actions to protect his home, and more importantly, he took action to protect the life of Kim Morris, Kaylee Isaac and himself, by fatally shooting an intruder who was known to be violent and dangerous, who had methamphetamine in his blood stream according to the toxicology report, and who was entering the Morris and Sprague home with a loaded weapon.”

Sprague’s pre-trial release was made with the conditions that he is on “house arrest” with a GPS monitoring ankle bracelet. He is also ordered to be supervised by Court Probationary Services.

Sprague is charged with second-degree murder, three counts of armed criminal action, first-degree robbery, kidnapping, unlawful possession of a firearm and abandonment of a corpse in connection with the July 15, 2020, shooting death of 28-year-old Kameron Stillwell and subsequent alleged “kidnapping” of Isaac after the shooting. 

Testimony in the case’s preliminary hearing stage indicated that Sprague fatally shot Stillwell as the murder victim attempted to enter a window in the house where Morris lived. Morris and Isaac were inside the house at the time.

Morris was romantically involved with Sprague at the time, and had formerly been in a long-term relationship with Stillwell. 

Sprague, Morris and Isaac left the house after the shooting and drove southwest out of Ozark County. Officers found them the next day at a hotel in Siloam Springs, Oklahoma. Sprague was arrested and had been held in custody ever since. 

Sprague’s scheduled to reappear in court at 9 a.m. March 9, for a plea hearing or trial setting in the case. Swatosh says he intends to ask the judge to set the case for trial at that time. 

The case has been transferred on a change of venue motion to Douglas County; however, all pre-trial motions will be taken up in Ozark County. 

Swatosh first filed a motion for release on Dec. 7, 2021. The motion was brought up during a Dec. 30 hearing. 

Carter’s docket entry from that hearing reads: “The Court has now reviewed the preliminary hearing testimony from the present case. The Court notes that the victim was undoubtedly shot and killed after having broken into the Defendant’s house, with the victim brandishing a pistol and threatening to kill an occupant of the home. Moreover, the court notes that the victim had previously gone to prison for assaulting the same occupant. Further, the occupant of defendant’s home testifies that the victim had shot her. Accordingly, the Court finds that holding the Defendant without bond is not necessary to ensure the safety of the community. The Court orders all counsel to appear January 5, 2022 at the Ozark County Courthouse at 9:00 AM for pretrial release discussion and hearing.”

The Jan. 5 hearing was continued to Jan. 20, when the attorneys argued their points and Carter sustained the release.