Troopers Arrest Camden County Couple For Staging Fake Drowning

A man and woman arrested in Camden County are facing multiple charges in connection with a reported drowning, that the Missouri State Highway Patrol Water Patrol Division is calling an elaborate hoax. 44-year-old Robert Gabauer and 43-year-old Michelle Miesner, both of Stover, were arrested for felony attempted commission of a fraudulent insurance act and filing a false police report. Authorities allege the two plotted to cash in on Gabauer’s life insurance policy. On Saturday, Miesner called 9-1-1 to report that she saw Gabauer fall into the Missouri River while fishing at Franklin Island in Howard County. An extensive search was conducted before inconsistencies turned up in Miesner’s story. She was arrested near Gravois Mills, and Gabauer, who was in Osage Beach, turned himself in by calling authorities and reporting his location. Both were taken into custody and transported to Howard County, awaiting formal charges.