The Carthage man accused of chasing a vehicle that eventually crashed on Civil War Road, killing three people, was arraigned Wednesday in Jasper County Circuit Court.

Jasper County Court records said James A. Myers, 22, Carthage, was arraigned on three felony counts of first degree involuntary manslaughter in court in Joplin, and pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

The charges stem from a single vehicle traffic crash at 9:45 p.m., Aug. 10 on Civil War Road near the Spring River bridge.
Killed were Earl Wayne McAfee, 19, driver of the vehicle, 3-year-old Jazmen Schlechter and 4-month-old Neil Wayne McAfee. Injured were Sheala D. Wright, 23, of Carthage, the mother of the two infants, Aaron Taylor, 17, of Carthage, and Timothy Maggard, 22, of Carthage. Taylor was treated and released.

Earl McAfee was the father of four-month-old Neil McAfee.

Police said McAfee's vehicle was being chased by a vehicle driven by Myers, following a verbal argument at a convenience store at the corner of Oak and Baker streets about 45 minutes before the crash.

Police Chief Greg Dagnan said at a news conference two days after the crash that the Myers vehicle chased the McAfee vehicle "around town, violating several traffic laws, running at a high rate of speed."

Dagnan told members of the media that about 20-30 witnesses helped investigators piece together what happened and that Myers and McAfee had been "associates" in the past.

"They know one another," he said.

Myers was arrested on Aug. 14 and is currently free on $15,000 bond.

Associate Circuit Court Judge Richard Copeland set Myers' next hearing date for 9 a.m., Sept. 24.