On the evening of August 31, 2019, officers from the Sedalia Police Department responded to reports of gunfire near the intersection of 11th Street and Ohio Avenue in Sedalia, Missouri. Upon arrival, law enforcement discovered 25-year-old Adrian R. Clark lying in the street, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Emergency personnel attended to the male victim, but he ultimately succumbed to his injuries.
The shooting occurred late on a Saturday night, prompting an immediate investigation by local authorities into the circumstances surrounding the violent encounter.
Detectives quickly canvassed the area and developed a suspect, identifying him as the victim's cousin, Elijah H. Watts. Reports indicated that a dispute had arisen between the family members that night, culminating in Watts producing a firearm and firing upon Clark. Following the shooting, the 27-year-old suspect fled the scene but was subsequently tracked down and apprehended by police. The investigation revealed that Watts was a convicted felon, which prohibited him from legally possessing a firearm.
Prosecutors charged Watts with second-degree murder, armed criminal action, unlawful use of a weapon, and unlawful possession of a firearm. Although he initially entered a plea of not guilty in November 2019, the case progressed toward a resolution without a jury trial. In July 2021, Watts accepted a plea agreement with the Pettis County Prosecutor’s Office. Under the terms of the deal, he pleaded guilty to the charges of second-degree murder, unlawful use of a weapon, and unlawful possession of a firearm, while the charge of armed criminal action was dismissed.
On October 12, 2021, Circuit Judge Jeff A. Mittelhauser presided over the sentencing hearing, where family members gathered to witness the conclusion of the legal proceedings. The judge sentenced Watts to 20 years for the second-degree murder charge and an additional 20 years for the unlawful use of a weapon, ordering the terms to be served consecutively for a total of 40 years in the Missouri Department of Corrections. A separate seven-year sentence for the unlawful possession of a firearm was ordered to run concurrently with the primary sentence.
