7/13/2007
Ray Scherer
Regional Reporter
Knowledge of a missing Northwest Missouri man’s whereabouts could land someone a Nashville recording contract.
Tennessee-based Castle Records recently decided to offer the $25,000 deal in exchange for information that leads to the arrest and conviction or location of Skidmore, Mo., resident Branson Perry.
Mr. Perry mysteriously vanished from his home in Skidmore on April 11, 2001. He left the residence on foot to take a pair of jumper cables to a shed on a lot adjacent to the house and hasn’t been seen since.
An advocate, Linda Stovall, and Mr. Perry’s mother, Becky Klino, had spoken with the company about the idea. It’s a technique the company has employed before, according to Castle Records’ Ed Russell.
“If a person gets hungry enough, they’ll get closer to the trap,” he said. “Our main purpose is to help this lady. We know that some of this stuff works.”
The record company will submit any information on the case directly to law enforcement investigators, which Mr. Russell
said can be accepted as anonymous and otherwise be kept confidential.
The record contract reward will be given once the case is resolved through the location of Mr. Perry, Mr. Russell said.
From there, he said it’s up to the award winner to decide how they wish to work with Castle on cutting a complete
compact disc of any musical style – even if that means bringing in a backup band into the studio or acting on someone else’s behalf should they have musical promise.
“You can do anything you want with it,” said Mr. Russell, who has some prior law enforcement crime scene experience. “That’s entirely up to them.”
According to its Web site, the studio’s music recording experience includes work with Jimmy Dean, a tribute to Roy Acuff, and the Conway Twitty Project.
Ms. Klino welcomes the idea that the promise of a recording contract could induce someone to come forward with information about her son.
“You don’t turn away anything,” she said. “It actually came as quite a surprise.”
She has appeared with nationwide tours that draw attention to missing-persons cases, including one caravan that made several stops in the region in June.
Mr. Perry’s case was also recently added to the “America’s Most Wanted” Web site, another project on which Ms. Stovall assisted.
His story is also featured on other Web sites, such as http://www.bransonperry.com and the National Center for Missing Adults at http://www.theyaremissed.org.
For tips on the case, contact the Nodaway County Sheriff’s Department at (660) 582-7541, Mr. Russell at (615) 401-7110 or Castle Records by e-mail at DebWalling@CastleRecords.com .
