Ex-Police Chief Accused of Making False Claims in High-Profile Case, Prosecutors Say

Missouri’s former Bowling Green police chief is facing multiple criminal charges after allegedly making false accusations against a sheriff’s deputy during a high-profile missing person case, according to court documents filed by the Missouri Attorney General’s Office.

Tylor Bounds, 39, was charged Friday with two felony and four misdemeanor counts, including disarming a peace officer and making a false declaration. The charges stem from Bounds’ public statements and sworn testimony regarding what he characterized as a cover-up by a Pike County Sheriff’s Deputy.

The case revolves around the disappearance of 23-year-old Nathaniel Mueller, whose body was discovered on February 28, 2025, just outside the jurisdiction of the Bowling Green Police Department. According to Mueller’s godmother, Ashley Ashby, suspicious circumstances surrounded the discovery.

“Keys still in the ignition – running; air conditioning on full blast,” Ashby told reporters. “There’s somebody out here that knows what happened.”

Investigators allege that Bounds, who was Bowling Green’s police chief at the time, attempted to insert himself into the Pike County Sheriff’s Office’s investigation in February 2025. According to the probable cause statement, Bounds made numerous unsubstantiated claims to a prosecuting attorney, including accusations that a chief deputy was withholding critical information and failing to perform his duties properly.

The Attorney General’s Office alleges that Bounds requested the deputy be designated as a “person of interest” in Mueller’s death, claiming the deputy was absent during key developments in the case. Court documents state that on March 1, Bounds authored a probable cause statement that prosecutors describe as “full of false statements, rumors which [Bounds] purported to be facts, and information known by [Bounds] to be untrue,” which he swore to under penalty of perjury.

On March 14, Bounds held a news conference making serious allegations against the Pike County Sheriff’s Office. “It is clear that the Pike County Sheriff’s Office knew the location of Mueller’s body for a month prior to this discovery of his remains,” Bounds stated at that time.

However, the probable cause statement describes body camera footage that prosecutors say directly contradicts Bounds’ claims. The footage allegedly shows Bounds disarming the deputy “without any just cause or reason,” supporting one of the criminal charges against him.

Court documents further allege that in December 2025, after Bounds was no longer employed in law enforcement, he posted a video on a Pike County anti-corruption Facebook page showing himself following someone he claimed was the chief deputy he had previously accused. Prosecutors say this act supports the harassment charge against him.

Bounds resigned from his position as Bowling Green police chief in June 2025. In an exclusive interview with FOX 2 in November, he stated, “I resigned from the Bowling Green Police Department for lack of support.” During the same interview, Bounds described the confrontation with the deputy, saying, “He started to approach the pond. I said that I couldn’t let him taint it any further and so I told him I needed to talk to him and to come over and talk to me and so I disarmed him.”

Bounds had claimed his suspicions about the deputy arose from text messages he discovered between the deputy and a robbery suspect regarding Mueller, which he said led him to question the deputy’s integrity. However, the Attorney General’s criminal complaint alleges that Bounds could not substantiate these claims.

When contacted about the charges filed against him, Bounds responded with a one-word text: “corruption.” Meanwhile, Mueller’s godmother defended the former chief, stating, “I don’t believe that Ty Bounds is guilty of anything other than exposing the truth.”

The Missouri Attorney General’s Office has declined to comment on the pending litigation, citing policy restrictions. No court date has yet been scheduled for Bounds’ appearance.

The case highlights growing tensions in the small community of Bowling Green, Missouri, as residents grapple with both the unresolved circumstances of Mueller’s death and the allegations of misconduct within local law enforcement. The charges against a former police chief represent an unusual development that has further complicated an already contentious investigation.