ST. MARY, Mo. – One year ago, St. Mary, Missouri, Mayor Adam Bequette faced unusual criminal charges that captured the attention of news outlets across the country. But what has not been reported since then is that a special prosecutor dropped those charges.

"I'm in the clear," Bequette said. "You know, I've been, you know, cleared of all wrongdoing."

The Missouri State Highway Patrol accused Bequette of stealing a construction loader from the property of a man who died.

Bequette never denied moving the machine he said was parked on an easement, because he said it was blocking access to the city's water lines.

"Yeah, the keys were in it and then, so we secured it for safekeeping in our lot," Bequette said. "At that point in time, that close to the road, it could be taken by anybody."

You can hear Bequette say what happened to an investigating officer, "Well, yeah, we moved it and secured it."

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Bequette added today, "We took it down to the city, public works. It was secured under lane two. The guys even washed it; made sure it was okay."

That move led to Bequette being charged by summons in June 2025 for felony theft and misdemeanor tampering.

"Yeah, it was a joke," Alderman Melvin Frelix said.

Frelix, a recently elected St. Mary alderman, was enjoying retirement as the area's postmaster when he heard the news.

"I always talk to the subject and then I always get an outside opinion because it's always three sides to every story," he said.

When asked what he determined was the truth, Frelix answered, "He didn't do it."

Bequette said even the dead man's relatives didn't think he stole it.

Apparently, neither did the voters.

"I ran for reelection and I won again, and I didn't even campaign that much," Bequette said.

When reached for comment, a Missouri State Highway Patrol spokesperson said they were asked to investigate by the Ste. Genevieve County Prosecuting Attorney, who then sent the case to St. Francois County Prosecuting Attorney, who then dismissed the case.

Bequette's attorney, Jerrod Mahurin, told FOX 2 that prosecutors did not even have enough evidence to have a preliminary hearing in front of a judge.

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