UPDATE 7/9/24: The Greene County Prosecutor’s Office has charged the suspect in the July 5 homicide of 46-year-old Jack Osborn and 44-year-old Melissa Smith on West Chestnut Street as police continue to search for him.
The suspect was identified as 39-year-old Jeffrey Garrett of St. Louis by the Springfield Homicide Unit. He is charged with two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of armed criminal action.
Springfield police say Garrett is currently not in custody.
Springfield detectives are currently investigating the incident. Anyone who has information on the incident or Garrett’s location should call the Springfield Police Department at 417-864-1755, make an anonymous call to Crime Stoppers at 417-869-8477 or submit a tip online at p3tips.com.
Jeffrey Garrett mugshots – courtesy of the Springfield Police Department
Original Story (7/5/24):
UPDATE 11:58 A.M. — Two people are now dead after a shooting near West Chestnut Street overnight.
According to a release from the Springfield Police Department (SPD), officers found 46-year-old Jack Osborn with a gunshot wound at a residence in the 1600 block of W. Chestnut St. Osborn died at the scene.
A second victim, 44-year-old Melissa Evans, was also found with gunshot wounds, SPD said. She was taken to a local hospital where she died.
SPD says it does not have any information about the suspect in the shooting.
Neighbors tell OzarksFirst when they heard the gunshots, they at first thought it was fireworks.
“(But it was like more of a pop, a gun pop sound,” said Paige Cook, who lives across the street from where the shooting happened.
Nicholas Reeves lives a few doors down and says usually this area doesn’t see violent crime like this.
“It’s a kind of quiet neighborhood most times,” Reeves said. “Sometimes it can get a little weird out here.”
Investigators are asking anyone with information about the incident to contact SPD at 417-864-1810, to make an anonymous tip to Crime Stoppers at 417-869-TIPS (8477) or to make a tip online at p3tips.com.
Original story:
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — The Springfield Police Department (SPD) says a man is dead and a woman is hurt after an early morning shooting.
SPD said officers responded to an area near West Chestnut Street and North Kansas Expressway at around 3:15 a.m. on July 5.
A man died at the scene, and a woman has been taken to the hospital, SPD said. Her condition is unknown at this time.
No one has yet been arrested, according to SPD, and no suspects have been identified so far.
Officers are still on scene and said West Chestnut Street is blocked off from Kansas Expressway west to North Farmer Avenue for now. SPD is unsure how long the area will be blocked off at this time.
This is a developing story and will be updated with more information as it becomes available.
