K-9 leads investigators to find mask, gun in air filter housing

LIBERTY, Mo. (KCTV) – A man is behind bars after a Clay County K-9 led investigators to a mask and a firearm that may have been used in a burglary in Excelsior Springs.

The Clay County, Missouri Sheriff’s Office says that during the week of Dec. 16, law enforcement was searching for a driver, later identified in court documents as Rowdy Davis, 40, of Smithville, who allegedly sped away from the scene of a burglary in Excelsior Springs.

Investigators indicated the suspect vehicle was spotted in downtown Liberty, where Davis eventually parked it in a nearby neighborhood. He was taken into custody while K-9 Argos alerted to the presence of illegal drugs in the vehicle. Argos continued to sniff the hood near the windshield.

Clay County K-9 Argos leads investigators to possible evidence used in a recent burglary.(Clay County, Missouri, Sheriff’s Office)

When deputies opened the hood, they said they saw a black mask, a handgun and heroin where the air filter was supposed to be. As a result, Davis was booked into the Clay County Detention Center for unlawful use of a weapon.

The sheriff’s office said the investigation remains ongoing. As of Friday, December 27, Davis remains behind bars on a $50,000 bond. A hearing is expected to take place at 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday, January 7. No other information has been released.