Apr 13, 2021

Suspect arraigned in fatal shooting at Mo. convenience store

Posted Apr 13, 2021 12:00 AM
Lindley photo Howell County
Lindley photo Howell County

LIBERTY, Mo. (AP) — A weekend shooting during at a southern Missouri convenience store killed a truck driver from California and critically injured three other people, authorities said Monday.

A suspect, Christopher Lindley, 28, of Thayer, Missouri, was arraigned Monday in Oregon County on charges of first-degree murder and armed criminal action.

The court entered a not guilty plea for him Monday and instructed Lindley on how to apply for a public defender. A hearing was scheduled for Wednesday to review his counsel and bond, according to online court records.

A clerk at the Snappy Mart in Koshkonong, in Oregon County, called authorities about 5 a.m. Saturday to report a shooting at the store, according to a probable cause statement released Monday.

ADVERTISEMENT

A deputy who responded found Paul Chavis suffering from a gunshot wound and lying on the ground outside the store near his truck. The deputy went inside the store and found the truck driver, Carlos Moreno, lying dead against a wall without a gunshot wound to the head, according to the document.

Melissa Rae Blaskiewicz was shot in the head while sitting at a table and Jonah Bivens was shot in the face.

Oregon County Chief Deputy Rich Mateson said in the statement he had a medic remove Blaskiewicz and Bivens from the store. He said Bivens was unable to talk but wrote down that Lindley shot him.

The probable cause statement did not say where the victims were from and the Oregon County prosecutor’s office declined to provide any information beyond the statement.

Oregon County Sheriff Eric King said Saturday that Lindley apparently knew at least one of the victims but no information about a possible motive has been released.