Abuse preceded shootings

WASHBURN, Mo. -- Months of threats, abuse and harassment stopped Monday, Jan. 5.

So did the lives of two people.

Dead are 28-year-old Casey Brace and her 79-year-old grandfather, Herb Townsend. Both were shot at Townsend's home on Farm Road 1055 apparently by Casey's ex-boyfriend, Christopher Paschall, now in jail in Washington County.

Casey was dead when Barry County (Mo.) Sheriff's deputies arrived, according to deputies. Townsend was taken to a hospital in Springfield, where he later died.

Casey and her 2-year-old daughter were visiting Casey's maternal grandfather at a home on a rural road just outside of Washburn, less than a mile from where she lived with her mother, Cathy Townsend. Casey's elder two children, 10 and 4, were at school.

The shooting happened at approximately 1:30 p.m. Monday. Barry County Sheriff Mick Epperly said Townsend was able to tell deputies that Paschall was the shooter.

In the morning before the shooting, Epperly said, deputies made extra patrols at the house and stopped to make sure everyone was OK because of several days of ongoing problems between Paschall and his ex-girlfriend. Epperly said Paschall had been making threats, and the woman had gone to court to apply for an order of protection against him.

Casey, Cathy and other family members suffered at the hands of her boyfriend, Christopher Paschall, for years, according to her elder sister, Brittney Woods of Bunker Hill, Ill.

"She tried several times to get away, there was probably 50 police reports made since summer 2014," Woods said. "Christopher Paschall was just her boyfriend and the father of the youngest two children.

"He tormented our family every day for months making threats and stalking and destroying our homes and cars. Casey and my mom both had restraining orders on him. He has been abusive since they met in 2008.... They lived in Springdale, Ark., up until Casey moved to try to get away in June."

Last August, Casey was living with one of her sisters off Rader Road east of Pea Ridge when Paschall damaged the home.

"Her sister (Casey) was staying with her (Amber Brace Trammel) and the sister's ex vandalized her trailer. Damaged windows, cut up mattresses, damaged appliances, cut cords, pipes, etc.," another relative said on the condition of anonymity.

Online court records show Paschall has received a couple of traffic tickets in Barry and McDonald counties in southwest Missouri; was arrested in 2011 in Washington County, Ark., on suspicion of driving while intoxicated or impaired; and was arrested in Benton County, Ark., last month on suspicion of contempt of court.

Washburn is about five miles north of Seligman, Mo., and about seven miles north of the Arkansas border. Springdale is about 50 miles southwest of Washburn in Washington County. The Barry County Sheriff's Department will try to interview Paschall and start efforts to return him to Cassville from the Washington County jail in Fayetteville. That could involve extradition if Paschall doesn't waive his right to that process.

General News on 01/07/2015