Justice for Steven Newberry
Justice for Steven Newberry
The Issue
Signing this petition is the BEST thing you can do. The goal is to get over 1500 signatures so the state will give justice to Steven Newberry.
While this is being signed, processed and brought to light please boycott Winter Hart studios in Joplin Missouri. A local tattoo shop ran by the murderer James Hardy.
The goal of this petition is to spread awareness within the community and ensure Steven Newberry will receive the justice he deserves in the following steps: gather signatures, engage in peaceful protests and education, and spread awareness in the community through publication.
Our goal is to revoke the business license from winterhart studios for their unethical values and violent criminal background. Then push the court to reconsider Jim Hardys release based on the clear evidence he has no remorse for what he did to Steven and his family.
https://www.facebook.com/share/1PuQrKM25S/
We are organizing a protest 04/12/2025 at 1pm on 7th and rangeline near natural groceries in the ( in the strip of dollar tree, Ross and PetSmart) by the light on the public side walk.
Our second protest will be on the public side walk across from winter hart studios located at 216 E 12th St, Joplin, MO 64801. We will peacefully protest and take a moment of silence to remember Steven Newberry.
This second protest will fall on April 26th 2025 at 1pm.
The event page is still coming.
Justice for Steven Newberry:
“Happy Father’s Day, Mom. You're the best father I ever had.” Was an unforgettable memory for Steven Newberry’s mother, Maryls Horn. Steven Newsberry was remembered for his humor, kindness, and warm heart. Newberry was described by peers as having trouble with hygiene and being “socially awkward” which made him a target for manipulation and bullying. Analyzing Steven’s mannerism today it could be assumed he had undiagnosed high functioning autism. Unfortunately, due to the time frame, teachers, doctors and parents labeled this more as a character flaw and lack of skill and or laziness rather than a disability which ,when reading this, seems cruel but is the truth. According to sites/ed.gov/idea :
“The 1980s saw a growing movement towards mainstreaming and inclusion, with an emphasis on integrating students with disabilities into regular classrooms and providing them with the necessary support services.”
Since Steven Newsberry didn't have an obvious visual disability throughout his education he was most likely looked over by staff who never provided documentation on him therefore an IEP, individualized student education plan, or 504 plan was never written to give the appropriate support to Steven that he needed. Unfortunately, by the time this was in practice Steven was almost out of school therefore no services or documentation would be provided.
This was not uncommon for children with undiagnosed autism before the 2000s and bullying in school was rarely monitored. Therefore, with this huge block against him Steven was desperate to fit in and have friends. However, unfortunately this unconditional love he was willing to provide for his friends led him to the darkest night of his life.
1987, James Hardy, Pete Roland, and Ron Clement were a group of young men who attended Carl junction highschool. The three men were obsessed with the idea of satanism and carried out violent acts against small animals they would find. Each man expressed that they enjoyed this activity and even considered the sacrifice of animals to be “fun”. Particularly James Hardy, the perpetrator that took the first swing, had been wanting to kill something “larger” for quite some time.
During class Hardy, Roland and Clement made fun of and talked about how much they hated Steve. They would draw violent pictures of characters that looked like Steve being murdered and share between one another which according to Los Angeles Times paper, described Steve exactly right down to the exact grey Nike shirt he was wearing. It was that day that Ron Clements turned to James Hardy and, according to Los angles time newspaper, stated “Let's kill Steve .”
This murder was planned out on three different dates:
October 31st which Jim Hardy describes as Steven’s mother “foiling their plan."
Steven's mother grew uneasy knowing her son was easily taken advantage of and warned Steven several times to stay away from the group of men.
Steve reassured his mother stating that they were his friends and he was sure they wouldn't hurt him. Steven’s Golden heart saw no evil within the heart and was forgiving to all the warning signs.
In mid November Steven was invited to go for cruise of black cat road but he didn't show up
Then they attempted a third time on Thanksgiving weekend and this marked the third attempt on ending Steven’s live.
James Hardy stated the following about the last unsuccessful attempt:
“The thing is, Steve knew we were going to kill him before we ever brought him out there,” Jim is now convinced. “I guess maybe he overheard us talking about it. But I know that he knew . . . just the look in his eyes, like, ‘I know that you’re going to kill me but I’m not going to believe it.’
December 6 1987 Hardy invited Steven to go into the woods with him and brought a little black and white kitten with him to beat. As stated in the article Los Angeles Times Hardy stated that they didn't include Steven in their animal sacrifice rituals because he felt Steven’s heart wasn't in “the right place” to do it.
As they arrived Steven knew something was up. Four Bats and five boys. James Hardy knew Steven would suspect something so he passed him a bat to mutilate the kitten to prove himself to the group. It didn't take long to kill the kitten before the men realized that this was their only opportunity to trap Steven.
Steven was struck over 70-100 times and was left in a fetal position covered in blood and groaning. He was still making noise when they left him their to die and attempted to hide his remains.
Hardy, Clements and Roland bragged about this crime the very next day and showed no remorse. They made jokes about his death and essentially painted Steve's death as a laughing stock.
Now 38 years later all men are released after being assigned a life sentence. The only reason the case was relooked in 2012 is because the supreme court passed a ruling that juveniles cannot be given a life sentence. Therefore the case was relooked and all men were released including James Hardy, the man who initiated and took the first swing to kill Steven.
These three men were 17, almost 18 and knew what they were doing. These men showed no remorse over the years and still don't. I am seeking signatures and voices of the community on the behalf of Steven Newberry and the Justice he deserves.
Previously I had made a post and the amount of people defending James Hardy and his business was shocking. It is unfair that James Hardy is not only living but thriving at a successful tattoo business and getting out of 50 plus years of prison.
On Facebook James Hardy made a recent statement in March 2025 stating he was the perpetrator of the act and it was not self-defense. He stated it was a past mistake that he made and that he grew as a person. However, According to his step daughter in a statement she describes his tattoo shop atmosphere as a cult. She stated they treat their employees very poorly and are extremely cruel to them. She described her mother, Talitha Hardy, James Hardy’s wife as crazy and tried to force her to get an abortion when she wanted to keep her pregnancy.
Then between the time between April 3rd-April 6th Talitha, Jame’s Hardy posted the following in her Facebook bio:
“Don't worry my husband won't murder you. He is murdering this pussy every night”
Then when she received backlash on the vulgar sick joke she posted “ I am a little unhinged sometimes”. She then makes a statement that this was not directed at the victim Steven Newberry.
Jame’s Hardy has not given another statement or post about the backlash on his business since his post in March.
Santiago Nicholas posted multiple posts revealing the horrors of James Hardy, Ron Clement, and Pete Roland’s crime with a focus on James Hardy. This is due because we are focusing on serving justice towards each perpetrator one at a time. Therefore making it easier to collect evidence, documentation, and create an appropriate case to reserve all of the perpetrators.
On April 6th 2025 Santiago posted a post revealing public information about James Hardy. People stayed this was dozing the tattoo artist and they would be calling Joplin police. However According to Article I, Section 8 of the Missouri Constitution states that no law shall impair the freedom of speech or the press, and every person is free to say, write, or publish whatever they will, being responsible for abuses of that liberty.
Dozing is posting information that is not public. Santiago includes his public tattoo shop that is not only advertised on Google on the first search but also advertised on James Hardy's page along with his phone number.
Doxing is posting information to cause specific harm to an individual where Santiago was spreading awareness to the community of the crimes this person committed much like someone would spread the awareness of someone on neighborhood watch.
I strongly recommend we as the people of Joplin do not get tattooed by winterhart studios. When we give money to this business it automatically supports the injustice to Steven Newsberry and his family.
His mother wanted a fair hearing and was present at the hearing for the following men however she specifically stated she also wants her son to be remembered, celebrated and not erased.
It is my duty as a citizen of the community to resurface this case and put James Hardy back in prison for his crimes. He has not shown remorse regardless of the letters he's written to Stevens' mother; this is clear by his and his wife's actions. He was nearly an adult when he was charged and got a life sentence therefore he needs to serve the rest of the sentence.
It is heartbreaking we have people in prison for longer than James Hardy for lesser crimes. He needs another trial and it is my duty to bring enough awareness to start this process.
Steven Newsberry will be remembered and not torn down by the ignorance of Joplin. Remember Steven's last dying words were;
“Why me”
And James Hardy said
“Because it's fun Steve”
Citations:
Los Angeles Times. (1988, October 20). Human sacrifice : “fun” killers now paying Devil’s Dues. Los Angeles Times. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-10-20-mn-5325-story.html
Google. (n.d.). Redirect notice. Google. https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.fourstateshomepage.com/news/crime/final-member-of-trio-that-killed-cj-teen-released/amp/
I section 8. Missouri Revisor of Statutes - Revised Statutes of Missouri, RSMo, Missouri Law, MO Law, Joint Committee on Legislative Research. (n.d.). https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?constit=y§ion=I++8#:~:text=%E2%80%94%20That%20no%20law%20shall%20be,the%20law%20and%20the%20facts
A history of the individuals with disabilities education act. Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. (2024, February 16). https://sites.ed.gov/idea/IDEA-History
154
The Issue
Signing this petition is the BEST thing you can do. The goal is to get over 1500 signatures so the state will give justice to Steven Newberry.
While this is being signed, processed and brought to light please boycott Winter Hart studios in Joplin Missouri. A local tattoo shop ran by the murderer James Hardy.
The goal of this petition is to spread awareness within the community and ensure Steven Newberry will receive the justice he deserves in the following steps: gather signatures, engage in peaceful protests and education, and spread awareness in the community through publication.
Our goal is to revoke the business license from winterhart studios for their unethical values and violent criminal background. Then push the court to reconsider Jim Hardys release based on the clear evidence he has no remorse for what he did to Steven and his family.
https://www.facebook.com/share/1PuQrKM25S/
We are organizing a protest 04/12/2025 at 1pm on 7th and rangeline near natural groceries in the ( in the strip of dollar tree, Ross and PetSmart) by the light on the public side walk.
Our second protest will be on the public side walk across from winter hart studios located at 216 E 12th St, Joplin, MO 64801. We will peacefully protest and take a moment of silence to remember Steven Newberry.
This second protest will fall on April 26th 2025 at 1pm.
The event page is still coming.
Justice for Steven Newberry:
“Happy Father’s Day, Mom. You're the best father I ever had.” Was an unforgettable memory for Steven Newberry’s mother, Maryls Horn. Steven Newsberry was remembered for his humor, kindness, and warm heart. Newberry was described by peers as having trouble with hygiene and being “socially awkward” which made him a target for manipulation and bullying. Analyzing Steven’s mannerism today it could be assumed he had undiagnosed high functioning autism. Unfortunately, due to the time frame, teachers, doctors and parents labeled this more as a character flaw and lack of skill and or laziness rather than a disability which ,when reading this, seems cruel but is the truth. According to sites/ed.gov/idea :
“The 1980s saw a growing movement towards mainstreaming and inclusion, with an emphasis on integrating students with disabilities into regular classrooms and providing them with the necessary support services.”
Since Steven Newsberry didn't have an obvious visual disability throughout his education he was most likely looked over by staff who never provided documentation on him therefore an IEP, individualized student education plan, or 504 plan was never written to give the appropriate support to Steven that he needed. Unfortunately, by the time this was in practice Steven was almost out of school therefore no services or documentation would be provided.
This was not uncommon for children with undiagnosed autism before the 2000s and bullying in school was rarely monitored. Therefore, with this huge block against him Steven was desperate to fit in and have friends. However, unfortunately this unconditional love he was willing to provide for his friends led him to the darkest night of his life.
1987, James Hardy, Pete Roland, and Ron Clement were a group of young men who attended Carl junction highschool. The three men were obsessed with the idea of satanism and carried out violent acts against small animals they would find. Each man expressed that they enjoyed this activity and even considered the sacrifice of animals to be “fun”. Particularly James Hardy, the perpetrator that took the first swing, had been wanting to kill something “larger” for quite some time.
During class Hardy, Roland and Clement made fun of and talked about how much they hated Steve. They would draw violent pictures of characters that looked like Steve being murdered and share between one another which according to Los Angeles Times paper, described Steve exactly right down to the exact grey Nike shirt he was wearing. It was that day that Ron Clements turned to James Hardy and, according to Los angles time newspaper, stated “Let's kill Steve .”
This murder was planned out on three different dates:
October 31st which Jim Hardy describes as Steven’s mother “foiling their plan."
Steven's mother grew uneasy knowing her son was easily taken advantage of and warned Steven several times to stay away from the group of men.
Steve reassured his mother stating that they were his friends and he was sure they wouldn't hurt him. Steven’s Golden heart saw no evil within the heart and was forgiving to all the warning signs.
In mid November Steven was invited to go for cruise of black cat road but he didn't show up
Then they attempted a third time on Thanksgiving weekend and this marked the third attempt on ending Steven’s live.
James Hardy stated the following about the last unsuccessful attempt:
“The thing is, Steve knew we were going to kill him before we ever brought him out there,” Jim is now convinced. “I guess maybe he overheard us talking about it. But I know that he knew . . . just the look in his eyes, like, ‘I know that you’re going to kill me but I’m not going to believe it.’
December 6 1987 Hardy invited Steven to go into the woods with him and brought a little black and white kitten with him to beat. As stated in the article Los Angeles Times Hardy stated that they didn't include Steven in their animal sacrifice rituals because he felt Steven’s heart wasn't in “the right place” to do it.
As they arrived Steven knew something was up. Four Bats and five boys. James Hardy knew Steven would suspect something so he passed him a bat to mutilate the kitten to prove himself to the group. It didn't take long to kill the kitten before the men realized that this was their only opportunity to trap Steven.
Steven was struck over 70-100 times and was left in a fetal position covered in blood and groaning. He was still making noise when they left him their to die and attempted to hide his remains.
Hardy, Clements and Roland bragged about this crime the very next day and showed no remorse. They made jokes about his death and essentially painted Steve's death as a laughing stock.
Now 38 years later all men are released after being assigned a life sentence. The only reason the case was relooked in 2012 is because the supreme court passed a ruling that juveniles cannot be given a life sentence. Therefore the case was relooked and all men were released including James Hardy, the man who initiated and took the first swing to kill Steven.
These three men were 17, almost 18 and knew what they were doing. These men showed no remorse over the years and still don't. I am seeking signatures and voices of the community on the behalf of Steven Newberry and the Justice he deserves.
Previously I had made a post and the amount of people defending James Hardy and his business was shocking. It is unfair that James Hardy is not only living but thriving at a successful tattoo business and getting out of 50 plus years of prison.
On Facebook James Hardy made a recent statement in March 2025 stating he was the perpetrator of the act and it was not self-defense. He stated it was a past mistake that he made and that he grew as a person. However, According to his step daughter in a statement she describes his tattoo shop atmosphere as a cult. She stated they treat their employees very poorly and are extremely cruel to them. She described her mother, Talitha Hardy, James Hardy’s wife as crazy and tried to force her to get an abortion when she wanted to keep her pregnancy.
Then between the time between April 3rd-April 6th Talitha, Jame’s Hardy posted the following in her Facebook bio:
“Don't worry my husband won't murder you. He is murdering this pussy every night”
Then when she received backlash on the vulgar sick joke she posted “ I am a little unhinged sometimes”. She then makes a statement that this was not directed at the victim Steven Newberry.
Jame’s Hardy has not given another statement or post about the backlash on his business since his post in March.
Santiago Nicholas posted multiple posts revealing the horrors of James Hardy, Ron Clement, and Pete Roland’s crime with a focus on James Hardy. This is due because we are focusing on serving justice towards each perpetrator one at a time. Therefore making it easier to collect evidence, documentation, and create an appropriate case to reserve all of the perpetrators.
On April 6th 2025 Santiago posted a post revealing public information about James Hardy. People stayed this was dozing the tattoo artist and they would be calling Joplin police. However According to Article I, Section 8 of the Missouri Constitution states that no law shall impair the freedom of speech or the press, and every person is free to say, write, or publish whatever they will, being responsible for abuses of that liberty.
Dozing is posting information that is not public. Santiago includes his public tattoo shop that is not only advertised on Google on the first search but also advertised on James Hardy's page along with his phone number.
Doxing is posting information to cause specific harm to an individual where Santiago was spreading awareness to the community of the crimes this person committed much like someone would spread the awareness of someone on neighborhood watch.
I strongly recommend we as the people of Joplin do not get tattooed by winterhart studios. When we give money to this business it automatically supports the injustice to Steven Newsberry and his family.
His mother wanted a fair hearing and was present at the hearing for the following men however she specifically stated she also wants her son to be remembered, celebrated and not erased.
It is my duty as a citizen of the community to resurface this case and put James Hardy back in prison for his crimes. He has not shown remorse regardless of the letters he's written to Stevens' mother; this is clear by his and his wife's actions. He was nearly an adult when he was charged and got a life sentence therefore he needs to serve the rest of the sentence.
It is heartbreaking we have people in prison for longer than James Hardy for lesser crimes. He needs another trial and it is my duty to bring enough awareness to start this process.
Steven Newsberry will be remembered and not torn down by the ignorance of Joplin. Remember Steven's last dying words were;
“Why me”
And James Hardy said
“Because it's fun Steve”
Citations:
Los Angeles Times. (1988, October 20). Human sacrifice : “fun” killers now paying Devil’s Dues. Los Angeles Times. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-10-20-mn-5325-story.html
Google. (n.d.). Redirect notice. Google. https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.fourstateshomepage.com/news/crime/final-member-of-trio-that-killed-cj-teen-released/amp/
I section 8. Missouri Revisor of Statutes - Revised Statutes of Missouri, RSMo, Missouri Law, MO Law, Joint Committee on Legislative Research. (n.d.). https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?constit=y§ion=I++8#:~:text=%E2%80%94%20That%20no%20law%20shall%20be,the%20law%20and%20the%20facts
A history of the individuals with disabilities education act. Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. (2024, February 16). https://sites.ed.gov/idea/IDEA-History
154
The Decision Makers
Supporter Voices
Petition created on April 7, 2025