Bond hearing set for Springfield man who authorities said wouldn't stop attacking women

A Springfield man charged with seven counts of felony domestic assault, two counts of tampering with a victim and violation of a protection order could be released Wednesday morning.

Darren Ray Sandefur, 31, has been in the Greene County jail since May 2018.

Sandefur has a bond hearing at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday in Judge Calvin Holden's courtroom, online court documents say.

According to a 2018 News-Leader story, Sandefur has been arrested for domestic assault on multiple occasions, posted bond and then continued to assault women. At the time of the story, the prosecutor asked he be held without bond and the judge agreed.

One of his accusers — who asked not to be named because she is afraid for her life and the lives of her children — said she was alerted by Casenet, an online case tracking system, late Monday night about the bond hearing.

The woman, who is pregnant, said she had a panic attack and wound up in the emergency room.

"To me, it's totally unreal. It seems like they don't care about the victim and what they went through," she said. "It just doesn't seem like they care."

According to the woman, the victim tampering charges are from when Sandefur tried to talk her and another victim out of testifying against him.

She worries: "Is he going to come after me and my (children)? And with him facing as much time as he is, I'm afraid he is going to look to keep me from testifying."

"I don't feel like the justice system is protecting me at all," she said. "It sucks when you have to live in fear like that — that somebody is going to come in and harm you or your children so they don't have to do time."

Prosecutor Nathan Chapman explained that the law about the procedure of holding someone without bond changed "a little bit" on July 1.

"Some of the judges are basically bringing people in that were originally held without bond under the old rule and wanting to essentially follow the new procedure in determining if they are going to continue to detain them without bond," Chapman said.

Chapman said doesn't know what Judge Holden will decide at the bond hearing.

But for the prosecution's part, nothing has changed in the case.

"Even though the rules about the procedures have changed, our position is still the same," Chapman said. "Nothing has changed about (Sandefur's) danger to both the victims and the community."

Sandefur's attorney Stuart Huffman said in a text message that he has a trial starting in another county and might have to change the hearing date.

From earlier reporting

According to previous reporting, police said in May 2017 Sandefur felt disrespected by a woman and attacked her in anger when she tried to leave his home. A chaotic scene played out outside Sandefur's home, during which police say Sandefur assaulted a male relative.

The incident allegedly ended when a neighbor intervened and pepper-sprayed Sandefur. According to police, the female victim was 24 weeks pregnant at the time of the assault.

Court records showed Sandefur was charged and held on a $50,000 bond, which he posted days later.

In January 2018, days before Sandefur was set to go on trial, police say Sandefur went to the same victim's home — despite a court order — and assaulted her again.

"Snitches get stitches," Sandefur said, according to police, before he took the woman's phone away when she tried to call 911.

Then Sandefur allegedly choked the woman until someone came into the room and Sandefur left.

When police contacted him later that day, they say Sandefur claimed he was a victim of the woman's abuse, pointing to his right eye, which had some slight redness and bruising to the area around it.

Court records showed Sandefur was charged and held on a $75,000 bond, which he posted days later.

In May 2018, Greene County sheriff's deputies say a different woman went to the hospital after Sandefur allegedly choked her, threw an object at her and punched her in the eye.

Deputies reported the woman had a black eye and marks on her forehead, neck, shoulder and knees.

Sandefur was again charged with a felony, court records show.