Patrol: Missouri man killed boy, then fatally shot himself
HERMANN, Mo. (AP) — Authorities say a man and a boy whose bodies were found last week died in a murder-suicide.
The bodies of 4-year-old Bentlee J. Turner and 37-year-old Monty Jason Barton were found Sept. 16 in rural eastern Missouri.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol said Monday that investigators concluded Barton killed the boy with a single gunshot wound to the head before fatally shooting himself. The conclusions were announced following autopsies that were performed by the Boone County medical examiner.
The boy and Barton both lived in the small town of Belle, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) southwest of St. Louis. The patrol has described Barton as a friend of the boy's family.
Bentlee was reported missing Sept. 16. Barton's vehicle was found later that night in rural Gasconade County, and his and the boy's bodies were discovered nearby.
