A Hannibal, Missouri man accused of robbing an elderly man in Barry in February 2023 has died in jail awaiting a disposition in the case.
Robert Lee Ledbetter, 62, was awaiting a disposition on multiple felonies attached to a robbery that took place in Barry. According to the original report, Pike County Sheriff’s Deputies were dispatched to a residence in the 1000 block of State Highway 106 outside of Barry on the morning of February 12, 2023. The victim reported two men came to their house on February 11th, 2023, where they made an agreement for an asphalting job. The victim issued a check to the suspects. The victim said the men returned on the following day and requested that payment be made with cash. The victim opened a safe at which time the suspects stole a large amount of currency, a Smith and Wesson handgun, watches, and other miscellaneous items from the safe. The suspects ran from the residence and got into a white Ford F-150 truck and fled. The Pike County Sheriff’s Department alerted several area law enforcement agencies to be on the lookout for the aforesaid vehicle and within minutes the Hannibal Police Department conducted a traffic stop on the suspect vehicle. Officers then arrested Ledbetter and Braden A. Harn of Hannibal, Missouri.
Harn pleaded guilty to Class 2 felony theft with intent to control property between $10,000-$100,000 in December 2024 in connection to the incident and was sentenced to 4 years of probation. Ledbetter missed the court date in December 2024 due to being imprisoned in the state of Wisconsin.
Ledbetter and Anthony Smith of Hannibal were arrested in February 2024 for an armed home invasion that happened in Hustisford, Wisconsin that occurred some time in January 2023. The victim in the Wisconsin case told local police that the two men forced their way into the home under the guise of being law enforcement looking for a homicide suspect. The victim said one of the men stayed with him while the other searched the house, asking where the valuables were. Both men wore white masks, and they left in a white pickup truck. Ledbetter was subsequently charged with armed robbery, burglary, impersonating a police officer, false imprisonment, criminal trespass and intimidation.
Ledbetter was due to appear in Pike County Circuit Court on extradition orders on October 28, but the Pike County Circuit Clerk’s office was informed of Ledbetter’s death on September 23. A posted obituary says that Ledbetter passed away on September 20. Judge J. Frank McCartney ruled that if Ledbetter’s estate held any value and is sufficient to pay any amount towards fines and restitution in the Pike County case, it would be ordered to pay. The ruling also allows the victim to pursue any civil restitution if they should choose.