Woman likely sneaked gun into jail by hiding it inside her body, Missouri sheriff says

A Missouri woman likely sneaked a gun into jail by hiding it inside her body, authorities say.

The Boone County Sheriff’s Office says the woman underwent three searches on her way into jail and the firearm was never detected.

Amy Natasha Wilhite, 39, was arrested on Valentine’s Day and searched by law enforcement after she was taken into custody, authorities say. But no gun was discovered.

At the jail, a sergeant conducted a “thorough pat search” when she arrived.

Lastly, an officer performed a strip search of Wilhite’s before she was released into the jail’s general population.

It wasn’t until Wednesday — over two weeks after Wilhite entered the jail — that jail employees discovered a .22 caliber revolver in her belongings, authorities say.

The sheriff’s office says it’s 4 inches long and about 2 1/2 inches wide and weighs about 4.6 ounces.

“It is believed Wilhite had the very small revolver concealed within a body cavity when she was brought into the Boone County Jail on (Feb. 14),” the sheriff’s office said in a news release.

Wilhite is now charged with delivery or possession of a weapon at a jail in addition to other felony charges.

Boone County is in central Missouri.

This story was originally published March 4, 2021 at 7:31 PM.