St. Clair Man Arrested For Violating Protection Order, Leads Deputies On Wild Chase Regarding Missing Woman

A St. Clair man was arrested Oct. 27 after violating an order of protection and later causing alarm with false claims about a missing person, according to the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office.

John Cowsert has been charged with violation of order of protection for adult — second offense and making a false report.

Cowsert claimed that his girlfriend had been involved in a crash and that she was either injured or dead.

The woman was later found unharmed at a motel in St. Clair.

The sheriff’s office responded to a disturbance in the 200 block of Perkins Road, where a woman reported that Cowsert was beating on her door. The reporting party said Cowsert had visited her home the previous day intoxicated and was told to leave but returned again on Sunday. Cowsert was found walking in a neighboring driveway with a flashlight and admitted to striking P.B.'s door with it. The reporting party confirmed she wanted to press charges for the violation of the protection order.

Upon being detained, Cowsert reportedly told deputies he "can't violate an ex-parte because he can do what he wants."

While in custody at the Franklin County Adult Detention Facility, Cowsert made disturbing statements about a car accident, claiming his girlfriend, identified as M.W., might be injured or dead. He also told deputies he had hidden her body under leaves near the crash site. However, after a search yielded no results, Cowsert changed his story, saying M.W. was placed in a culvert pipe 300 yards from the scene.

During the search, Cowsert gave conflicting directions, eventually admitting he lied about the culvert location. Deputies later found M.W. safe and unharmed at the Super 8 motel in St. Clair.

Authorities expressed concern about Cowsert’s erratic behavior and recent criminal history. He had been arrested multiple times in the previous week, including on October 22 by St. Clair police for driving while intoxicated and again on October 24 for charges including assault, persistent DWI, first-degree harassment, property damage, resisting arrest, and unlawful possession of a firearm.