PINEVILLE, Mo. -- Three Jasper County residents have been arrested and charged with the Oct. 22, 2014, murder of Rodney Frederick, a rural Jane, Mo., man, according to McDonald County Prosecuting Attorney Bill Dobbs.
Dobbs identified the three men as Carl L. Jackson, 32, Robert J. Jackson (Carl Jackson's nephew), 23, both of Webb City, and Richard C. Knee Jr., 20, of Joplin at a press conference held Friday at the McDonald County, Mo., Courthouse in Pineville.
Dobbs said an anonymous tip called into a California tip-line (WeTip) was instrumental in the investigation.
"That started the ball rolling into what we did this week that ended up with the arrest of the three suspects," said McDonald County Sheriff Mike Hall.
Hall said the tip was forwarded from California to the Webb City Police Department and Webb City in turn called his office on Friday, Feb. 27.
The three men have been charged in connection with the home invasion and subsequent murder of Frederick, 35, of 222 Donnely Lane, located north of Missouri Highway 90 in eastern McDonald County.
Hall said Frederick died from multiple gunshot wounds after three men, two who were wearing masks, broke into his residence shooting Frederick after an altercation. Dobbs said Carl Jackson has been identified as the shooter.
Two other people at the residence, including Frederick's elderly mother, who is from Pea Ridge, were tied up by the suspects, but were not injured.
"I want to thank the men and women of the sheriff's department, especially Lt. Barrett (Brandon Barrett) and Investigator Abbott (David Abbott of the Southwest Missouri Drug Task Force), for their diligence in developing leads in a difficult case with virtually no leads at the time," Dobbs said. "After good police work, they have identified three suspects. They developed leads and brought evidence to the point of prosecution."
Dobbs said the three suspects went to Frederick's home with the purpose of robbing the victim because they believed he had a sizable amount of cash and marijuana. Hall said at the time of the incident that an 8- by 10-foot indoor marijuana grow-operation was located at the Frederick residence.
According to Dobbs, a British-made .303-caliber rifle stolen from the Frederick residence was found in the possession of Carl and Richard Jackson when they were arrested March 4 at their residence in Webb City. Dobbs said further investigation led to other evidence linked to the murder and to issuance of arrest warrants for the three.
Carl and Robert Jackson remain in custody in the Jasper County Jail after they were at first arrested on charges of burglary and receiving stolen property. Knee was arrested a day later at the McDonald County Jail after he was brought to the McDonald County Sheriff's Office during the investigation.
All three suspects are being held on a $100,000 cash bond.
In addition to the first degree murder charge, the defendants have been charged with armed criminal action, first degree burglary and first degree robbery.
Dobbs said he expected the three to be arraigned this week in McDonald County Circuit Court.
General News on 03/11/2015