Matt Penning's volunteer work crew last worked at the Gasconade County Courthouse ove the 2009 Labor Day weekend. The following week a break-in was reported to courthouse employees by County Collector, Shawn Schlottach, according to a confidential source within the courthouse. The implication or inference was that Commissioner Penning and/or one or more of his volunteers had entered Collector Schlottach's office without proper authorization. Although Collector Schlottach made the "cat burglary" claim, no solid evidence was ever produced at that time. Schlottach was subsequently confronted regarding her wild accusations by Commissioner Penning as well as one or more of his volunteers, but she denied that she had ever made such accusations against them. At the time, her adamant denial seemed quite peculiar because our confidential source within the courthouse is usually very reliable.
Now, over six months later, we have checked with our confidential source in the courthouse, and we have been told that no subsequent "cat burglaries" have been reported by Collector Schlottach. This is quite interesting! One reported "cat burglary" at the courthouse immediately following the weekend during which Matt Penning's volunteer group worked and then no subsequent reported "cat burglary" since that time!
Our questions are these:
- Did the reported "cat burglary" over the 2009 Labor Day weekend actually occur?
- Who might have had the motive to break in to Collector Schlottach's office? At that time, Schlottach appeared to point the finger of blame at Matt Penning and his volunteer workers. But what would any of them possibly want in Schlottach's office?
- Why was no evidence produced at that time which could lead to a successful prosecution and conviction of the alleged break-in?
- Why didn't Collector Schlottach report the incident to the proper legal authorities instead of making her wild accusations and inferences in the presence of other courthouse employees?
- Why have there been no further break-ins at the courthouse since last year's Labor Day weekend? Is it because the "cat burglar" got what he/she wanted during the first break-in? Or is it because the Penning volunteers have never again had weekend access to the courthouse since the 2009 Labor Day weekend? Or is it because the first so-called "cat burglary" never actually occurred?
When we have more information to report, we will.
Jimmy Oldsun
Investigative Reporter
http://www.hermannhearsay.blogspot.com/