In the late spring of 2021, the tourist town of Branson, Missouri, was rocked by a violent act that claimed the life of 39-year-old Richard 'Rocky' McMahan. On May 29, McMahan and a companion, Krystle Layne Buhl, age 38, were fatally shot in the 1800 block of West 76 Country Boulevard, a central thoroughfare in the entertainment city. The double homicide prompted a complex and detailed investigation that would span several months and involve multiple law enforcement agencies.
The Branson Police Department, aided by the Taney County Sheriff's Office, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, and federal agencies including the FBI and ATF, embarked on an exhaustive search for the person or persons responsible. The investigation was described as one of the most intricate ever undertaken by the local police department. Their efforts eventually led them to identify a primary suspect in the brutal slayings.
After a tireless investigation, authorities zeroed in on 34-year-old Miguel Angel Melendez-Torres. He was located in the Boston, Massachusetts area and arrested without incident on October 5, 2021. Following his apprehension, Melendez-Torres was extradited back to Missouri to face charges. He has been charged with two counts of second-degree murder, first-degree armed robbery, and armed criminal action. During the course of the homicide investigation, it was discovered that Melendez-Torres and a 26-year-old female associate were also suspects in an armed robbery that had occurred in downtown Branson just days before the murders, on May 26, 2021. The female suspect was located and arrested in St. Augustine, Florida, on September 30, 2021, and was also extradited to Missouri. She faces a charge of first-degree armed robbery, while Melendez-Torres faces additional charges of first-degree armed robbery and armed criminal action related to this earlier incident. Both individuals remain in custody.
