Thomas Hedrick, Criminal

I would like to knock down the Thomas Hedrick brick wall!  I have the marriage record from Greene County, Missouri, unfortunately it is a certified copy and not a copy of the original.  I always search online resources first.  I started here:

Missouri State Archives website searchable online databases. http://www.sos.mo.gov/mdh/browse.asp?id=All
I clicked on the Civil War Newspapers link, http://shs.umsystem.edu/civilwar/newspapers/index.html. Scrolling down to select a newspaper for Greene County, I spot the Springfield Mirror and the dates span from 1856 - 1859.  Perfect for the time period I am searching.   I searched in the Springfield Missouri Weekly Patriot 1865-1876, http://statehistoricalsocietyofmissouri.org/cdm/landingpage/collection/smwp.  I searched for  Hedrick. I received 4 hits. My first hit was Nov 2, 1865 when Burton and George Hedrick, (plus four men named Beasley and John Wood Jr.)  were being sued for $6,000 by Mahala Bowman for murdering her husband, Jacob Bowman, stealing property and burning down their house in 1863. The claim was filed in Stone County, Missouri.  She is about to be foreclosed on.  Perhaps these two men will be a clue to finding Thomas.  I never dismiss anything right away!
This same group of men are accused of stealing five head of cattle, one mare, one rifle gun, bed quilts and wearing clothes from Samuel Owen in 1862. This Stone County Circuit Court notice published November 16, 1865 states the men have left their usual places of abode.

And the next hit is a BINGO!  In the Circuit Court of Taney County, Missouri notice published November 23, 1865.  Mary A Wallace, plaintiff vs. Mary B Hedrick, George Hedrick, Thomas Hedrick and Sally Burkes, Def.  They are accused of taking bed clothes, bacon, flour, sugar, coffee and tobacco of the value of Seventy-five dollars on the 16 May 1864.  The notice states they have left their usual place of abode.  They are ordered to appear in the court house in Forsythe.  The November 16, 1865 edition has a notice that on this same date in 1864, this group is accused of taking forty dollars in gold, a new saddle and bridle worth twenty five dollars, gold locket worth six dollars, set of ear bobs worth four dollars, six dresses valued at seventy-five dollars, and diverse other article and personal effects of Nancy E Gideon in Taney County.
I knew Thomas was not a stand up guy, after all he deserted Nancy and their son William.  Now I can take the clues found in the newspaper and look for more information.  I need to find out if Mary B is a sister to George and Thomas or if she was the spouse of one of them.

I checked the 1860 census for Taney County, Missouri.  I did not find Mary B, however I did find Burton age 54 b. KY, George age 26 b. MO, Thomas 22 b. MO, Samuel age 48 b. KY and Shelton age 24 b. MO.  All are living in their own households.  My conclusion is Burton is the father of George, Thomas and possibly Shelton.  Shelton and Thomas are neighbors in the census and are on the same page with Burton.  They are living in Newton Twp. before the Civil War.  Thomas in 1860 is married to a Lucinda age 18.  I don't think this is my Thomas as he married Nancy Logan in 1852.

The hunt for answers continues!