Missouri jury: Son’s fatal shooting of father justified

VAN BUREN, Mo. – A coroner’s jury has ruled that a southeast Missouri man acted in defense of his mother when he fatally shot his father.

The Poplar Bluff Daily American Republic reports that the six-person jury heard testimony Monday before ruling that 24-year-old Marcus Cornman of Carter County was justified in the fatal shooting of his father, 43-year-old Marcus Rutter.

Rutter died Feb. 20 after his son shot him with a rifle.

Carter County Deputy Curtis Robinett testified that Cornman’s mother tried to intervene in a dispute between father and son.

Cornman told authorities that Rutter grabbed a pistol and held it to Tammy Cornman’s head.

Marcus Cornman then fatally shot his father.

This story was originally published April 22, 2015 at 10:44 AM with the headline "Missouri jury: Son’s fatal shooting of father justified."