In the evening hours of Saturday, December 29, 2018, emergency services in Marshall, Missouri, responded to a call about a disturbance on Viking Lane. Upon their arrival at approximately 6:14 p.m., they discovered 31-year-old Joshua Charles Smith, a male resident of Marshall, with injuries from an apparent gunshot wound. He was transported by ambulance to Fitzgibbon Hospital for medical treatment, but he was later pronounced deceased.
The following day, on Sunday, December 30, 2018, an
investigation by the Marshall Police Department led to the arrest of 55-year-old James Scott Miller. A warrant was issued in the 15th Judicial Circuit Court in Saline County, and Miller was formally charged with a Class A Felony for Second-Degree Murder in connection with Smith's death. Miller, who was identified as Smith's stepfather, was subsequently held at the Saline County Jail on a $500,000 cash-only bond.
In a significant turn of events, in February 2020, the murder charges against James Scott Miller were dropped. A spokesperson for the Missouri Attorney General's office stated that the evidence in the case did not warrant the charges. Miller's attorney maintained that his client had acted in self-defense during a fight with his stepson. The decision to dismiss the charges left Joshua Smith's family feeling shocked, confused, and angry, with his sister expressing a belief that the justice system had failed them and left many unanswered questions.
