Plaza Towers owner charged with domestic assault, kidnapping

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Last edited 1 p.m., July 17, 2024 [Editor's note: An addition has been made to reflect the latest court entry. Some details of the alleged assault have been removed.]

Marco Denis, who purchased Plaza Towers in 2020 through Springfield Property LLC, has been charged with domestic assault and kidnapping.

Denis, 49, has been arrested and is being detained in Greene County Jail, according to online court records. He's facing two counts of domestic assault in the first degree, one count of domestic assault in the third degree and one count of kidnapping.

Attorney Teresa Grantham of Grantham Fiester Law LLC, listed in court records as Denis' attorney, could not be reached for comment by deadline. A court document filed Wednesday morning indicates the defendant has pleaded not guilty and that a bond hearing is scheduled for July 18.

A probable cause statement from the Springfield Police Department indicates Denis and the victim on July 14 were driving near Lone Pine and Battlefield Road when the victim exited the vehicle and was picked up by a witness. Witnesses said they saw the driver, identified as Denis in the probable cause statement, pulling the victim's hair aggressively and choking her. The witness drove the victim to police headquarters, and Denis allegedly followed before turning off.

The probable cause statement, which is available on Missouri Case.net, describes multiple injuries to the victim, including wounds on her arms, head, face, neck and legs.

The victim was picked up by Denis on July 14 at Sequiota Park, according to the probable cause statement. The victim said she agreed to have a drink and go shopping in Branson, but she was instead taken to Kimberling City, where Denis’ boat was docked. The probable cause statement indicates Denis drove to a secluded cove and anchored his boat.

The victim was pushed into the water repeatedly and assaulted for a couple of hours, according to the probable cause statement.

The victim stated to police officers that she heard Denis calling his attorney and saying that the boat turned too quickly and that they both fell out, around the time they were returning to Denis' vehicle. According to the probable cause statement, Denis continued to assault the victim on the drive back to Springfield. The victim stated that she was driven back to Sequiota Park but not allowed to get out, and that she believed Denis was taking her to his residence with plans to kill her.

Denis, who was located by police at his residence, told law enforcement that the victim was driving the boat and trying to make waves. Denis said he took over to try, and they were both thrown from the impact of another boat making waves. According to the probable cause statement, Denis said the victim exited his vehicle at Lone Pine and Battlefield because she was mad and wanted to go home.

OzarksFirst.com was first to report on the charges against Denis.

Since purchasing Plaza Towers through Springfield Property LLC, Denis has been conducting renovations to the 10-story, 130,000-square-foot building at the intersection of Glenstone Avenue and Sunshine Street, according to past Springfield Business Journal reporting. A 200-person event center and restaurant are among new features planned at the building.