ST. CHARLES COUNTY, MISSOURI — Two defendants are now serving lengthy Missouri prison sentences after being prosecuted and convicted in St. Charles County, Missouri, in a case involving multiple child sex offenses.
Philip Wimbish, 56, and Laina Garso, 43, both of Mesa, Arizona, were prosecuted in Missouri after the crimes brought them into the jurisdiction of St. Charles County.
A St. Charles County jury ultimately found both defendants guilty of multiple offenses involving a child.
According to the St. Charles County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, on June 26, 2026, a jury found Philip Wimbish, 56, guilty of:
1- Statutory Sodomy — 3 counts
2 - Sexual Misconduct
3 - Endangering the Welfare of a Child — 2 counts
4 - Child Molestation — 3 counts
5 - Furnishing Pornographic Material to a Minor
The same jury found Laina Garso, 43, guilty of:
1 - Statutory Sodomy
2 - Endangering the Welfare of a Child — 2 counts
3 - Abuse or Neglect of a Child
On September 10, 2026, Judge Britney Smith sentenced Wimbish to life in prison plus 80 years with the Missouri Department of Corrections.
Garso was previously sentenced on August 20, 2026, to 35 years with the Missouri Department of Corrections.
According to prosecutors, the case began after the victim disclosed the abuse to a family member.
Prosecutors said Wimbish and Garso had also been grooming the victim to become Wimbish’s future wife.
A child’s disclosure led to accountability
The Prosecuting Attorney’s Office credited the victim’s courage and perseverance, along with the work of law enforcement, the child advocacy center and prosecutors who worked together throughout the case.
The outcome serves as another reminder of why children must be believed, protected and given safe avenues to disclose abuse.
