On November 16, 2021, authorities in Anderson, Missouri, were called to a camper located on Pleasant Grove Road regarding a reported shooting. Upon arrival, deputies discovered the body of 51-year-old Harold Lee Wynn, a male resident of the area, who had suffered a fatal gunshot wound to the back of the head. Harold was found lying in bed, largely covered by blankets in a sleeping position, with a.
40-caliber semi-automatic pistol discovered wedged between two pillows behind his head.
The victim's wife, Dawn Renee Wynn, was the only other person present in the camper at the time of the incident. She told investigators that she had been sleeping when she was awakened by something brushing against her face, only to realize her husband had been shot. She initially suggested that the firearm, which was kept on a shelf above the bed, might have fallen and discharged accidentally. However, investigators noted that the shelf had a lip designed to prevent items from sliding off, and the gun's safety features made an accidental discharge from a fall highly unlikely.
Discrepancies in the wife's account and the physical evidence quickly emerged. The medical examiner determined that the lack of gunpowder stippling or contact burns around the wound indicated the shot was not self-inflicted, ruling out suicide. Furthermore, the positioning of the gun was inconsistent with the victim’s reach. Prosecutors later revealed a financial motive, presenting evidence that Dawn Wynn had received approval for a $100,000 life insurance policy on her husband just one day before his death. Testimony also indicated that the couple’s plumbing business was failing and that Harold had been planning to leave the marriage.
Dawn Wynn was charged with second-degree murder and armed criminal action but was released on bond in April 2022 while awaiting trial. In August 2022, she disappeared from her mother’s home in Arkansas where she had been ordered to stay, leaving behind a note that claimed she intended to end her life. Her children and authorities viewed the note as a diversion tactic. After months on the run, she was located and arrested by U.S. Marshals in October 2022 at a hotel in Vigo County, Indiana, where staff had become suspicious of her behavior.
Following her recapture, the charges were upgraded to first-degree murder. During her three-day trial in August 2024, a jury in McDonald County convicted her of first-degree murder and armed criminal action. In October 2024, the presiding judge sentenced Dawn Wynn to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the murder charge, with an additional consecutive 15-year sentence for the armed criminal action count.
