Five Arrested in Wright County During Suspicious Death Investigation

On Sunday, December 29, 2024, the Mansfield Police Department requested assistance from the Wright County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division to investigate a suspicious death within the city limits of Mansfield. Since then, several interviews have been conducted, and numerous leads have been pursued.

During the investigation, the Wright County Criminal Investigations Division and Mansfield Police Department made multiple arrests related to drug crimes:

Joseph Bell: Arrested on December 29, 2024, for two counts of Possession of a Controlled Substance. Bell is currently on Parole. Bell has been charged and is being held on a $1,500 cash-only bond with conditions.

Julie Barnes: Arrested on December 30, 2024, for Possession of a Controlled Substance. Barnes was later released.

Bradley J. Henry: Arrested on January 2, 2025, following a search warrant executed by the Wright County Special Operations Group. Henry has been charged with Distribution of a Controlled Substance and Keeping or Maintaining a Public Nuisance. He is being held on a $25,000 cash-only bond with conditions. Henry is a prior and persistent drug offender.

Daison Steffe: Arrested by Mansfield Officer Kase Sanders, January 2, 2025, for Possession of a Controlled Substance, shortly after the above search warrant had been cleared. Steffe is currently on Probation and Parole and on felony bond from a prior posession charge. Charges are pending.

This case remains an open and active investigation.

Sheriff Byerley stated:

“This is what fighting the drug epidemic in a rural county is about—law enforcement agencies working together to rid the county of dangerous drugs. I want to thank and commend Detective Sgt. Akers and Detective Ballard for their tireless dedication in pursuing, tracking down, and acting on all leads. It takes this kind of effort to put a case like this together.”