Les Bourgeois Vineyards undergoes investigations

The three September incidents involved two sexual assaults.

Les Bourgeois Vineyards, located alongside the Missouri River, is under investigation due to incidents that occurred in September. The Missouri State Highway Patrol is gathering more information about two sexual assaults that were filed.

The incidents at Les Bourgeois Vineyards in early September that caused the vineyard to cancel 15 scheduled events have progressed in their investigations, Missouri State Highway Patrol Sgt. Chris Harris said. All three incidents involved MU students.

Two sexual assaults reported within a week of each other, the first Sept. 13 and the second Sept. 18, are still under investigation by the Boone County Sheriff's Department.

"One of the cases was submitted to the prosecutor's office who then requested more investigation," Sheriff's Department Major Tom Reddin said.

The other case sent evidence to the Missouri State Highway Patrol Crime Laboratory Division for analysis, Reddin said. The lab gets evidence from all over the state and has to organize and prioritize the importance of each case.

"It could be several months before they get the evidence back," Reddin said.

The third accident involved senior Brian Lindsey being backed over by a bus leaving the winery after a party. After an investigation by the Highway Patrol, the driver has been cleared of all liabilities in the accident, Harris said.

"We found that the bus driver could not be held liable in this incident," Harris said. "There was no information whatsoever to lead me to believe that he was negligent that night."

Harris was the officer who responded to the bus incident on the night of Sept. 17.

Harris also said the area where the members of the party were waiting wasn't an ideal place to be that night. The investigation showed there was one Les Bourgeois employee directing buses and people before the incident.

"He was just overwhelmed," Harris said.

Harris said the largest contributing circumstances to the incident that night were intoxication, a large crowd and the location where it happened.

According to a statement released shortly after the bus incident, Les Bourgeois was deeply troubled by the alleged incidents and very concerned for the safety of the patrons. The winery has been in full cooperation with the authorities during the investigation, Reddin said.

"We did turn up some liquor law violations that were happening that night," Harris said in reference to the night of the bus accident. "That night would have been the time to make those cases but I was busy trying to get the information for the accident report. Everything as far as our department is concerned is closed on the case."