On the evening of March 7, 2019, emergency responders were dispatched to a residence on East First Street in Fulton, Missouri, following a frantic 911 call reporting a shooting. Inside the home, officers discovered the body of 36-year-old male David Dalton in a bedroom, suffering from a single, fatal gunshot wound to the head. Despite the efforts of first responders to administer life-saving measures, Dalton was pronounced dead at the scene.
The investigation revealed that Dalton had been spending the evening with his girlfriend, Kalesha Marie Peterson, drinking whiskey and watching a movie when the night took a fatal turn.
According to statements Peterson gave to investigators, the couple had been intoxicated when Dalton suggested they reenact a scene from the film they were viewing which involved a firearm. Peterson, a nurse by profession, retrieved a. 38-caliber revolver from the bedroom to use as a prop in their role-playing. She maintained that the shooting was accidental, claiming the weapon discharged while she was holding it during the reenactment. Police noted that Peterson appeared intoxicated at the scene, and a subsequent search of the home yielded a bottle of whiskey and various prescription medications known to impair judgment when mixed with alcohol.
Peterson was initially arrested on suspicion of second-degree murder and unlawful use of a weapon. However, the legal proceedings escalated when a grand jury later indicted her on charges of first-degree murder and armed criminal action. The case continued through the court system for over two years until a resolution was reached in July 2021. Peterson accepted a plea deal, pleading guilty to a reduced charge of first-degree involuntary manslaughter. She admitted to recklessly causing Dalton's death and was subsequently sentenced to eight years in the Missouri Department of Corrections.
