Robyn Renee Lucas, a 51-year-old female, was found dead in her home on Juniper Circle in Columbia, Missouri, on December 19, 2020. The tragic discovery was made after police responded to a reported shooting at the residence she shared with her family. Officers arrived to find Robyn deceased from a gunshot wound. Her ex-husband, Andrew Scott Lucas, was also present at the scene and had sustained a gunshot wound to his abdomen, which he claimed was the result of a violent home invasion.
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the immediate aftermath of the shooting, Andrew Lucas provided a harrowing account to investigators, alleging that a masked intruder dressed in black had broken into their home and opened fire on them both. This narrative initially painted a picture of a random or targeted attack by an unknown assailant. However, as detectives from the Columbia Police Department examined the physical evidence at the scene, inconsistencies began to emerge. Notably, there were no signs of forced entry into the residence, casting doubt on the intruder theory.
The investigation took a significant turn when police executed a search warrant on Andrew Lucas's phone. A digital forensic analysis revealed a disturbing search history in the days leading up to the murder. Authorities discovered that he had searched for terms such as 'shooting someone' and 'shot with 38,' suggesting premeditation rather than a spontaneous reaction to a break-in. Furthermore, investigators learned that Andrew had recently purchased a handgun consistent with the weapon used in the shooting and had even practiced with it at a local range. He claimed this gun had been stolen prior to the incident, but the weapon was never recovered at the scene.
Confronted with this mounting evidence, police arrested Andrew Scott Lucas. He was initially charged with second-degree murder and armed criminal action. As the investigation deepened and the evidence of planning became more apparent, the Boone County Prosecutor upgraded the charge to first-degree murder. Andrew Lucas was held in the Boone County Jail without bond, with a trial date initially set for April 12, 2021. The case highlighted the domestic nature of the violence, as the suspect was the victim's former spouse living in the same household.
