On the evening of June 5, 2018, in Lebanon, Missouri, 47-year-old male Gary Don Peterson was fatally shot following a confrontation in a residential neighborhood. Authorities responded to reports of a disturbance in the 500 block of Sweet Street around 5:00 p.m., where they discovered Peterson lying unresponsive in the roadway. Despite attempts to revive him, he was pronounced dead at the scene by the Laclede County Coroner's office.
The incident reportedly stemmed from a verbal altercation involving a woman with whom the suspect shared a child.
Witnesses at the scene described a tense encounter between Peterson and the suspect, identified as Cashawn Ward Williams. According to accounts provided to investigators, Williams approached Peterson and the woman as they were walking outside, questioning the nature of their relationship. Following the exchange, Williams allegedly drew a handgun from his waistband and opened fire. One witness reported that after the initial shot, Williams walked away briefly before turning back to shoot Peterson again. Following the attack, the assailant fled the area in a vehicle, sparking a manhunt that lasted for several weeks.
Law enforcement officers subsequently executed a search warrant at Williams' residence, where they located the vehicle used to flee the scene, along with ammunition and a box for a. 40-caliber handgun, which matched shell casings found near the victim. For approximately two weeks, Williams evaded capture, leading to a coordinated effort involving local police and federal authorities. On June 20, 2018, he was apprehended in Springfield, Missouri, by the U.S. Marshals Service, assisted by a special response team from the Springfield Police Department. He was taken into custody at a home on South Lovers Lane, ending the search.
The legal proceedings concluded nearly two years later in March 2020. Although originally facing a charge of first-degree murder, Williams entered a guilty plea to second-degree murder and armed criminal action. A judge sentenced him to life in prison with the possibility of parole for the murder charge, alongside a consecutive 20-year sentence for the armed criminal action count. Peterson was remembered by his family as a father and grandfather who worked as a mechanic and enjoyed playing the guitar.
