In the spring of 2018, a chilling discovery was made in Springfield, Missouri, that would unravel a story of violence and lead to the capture of a double murderer. On April 1st, the body of 49-year-old Robert C. Hewitt, a male resident of Springfield, was found inside a vehicle. He had sustained a fatal gunshot wound, and authorities immediately launched a homicide investigation into his death.
The grim scene offered few initial clues, leaving a community in suspense and a family grappling with a sudden and tragic loss.
As detectives delved into the case, their investigation soon connected Hewitt's murder with another recent homicide in the area. The victim in the earlier case was Lance Loveless, who had also been found shot to death in his car just days prior, on March 27th. The similarities between the two killings led police to suspect that a single individual was responsible for both slayings. Their focus quickly narrowed to one man: Willie Haughton. Authorities publicly identified Haughton, a Black male, as the primary suspect in both murders and initiated a manhunt to bring him into custody. He was described as being armed and dangerous.
The search for Willie Haughton concluded on April 5, 2018, when he was apprehended by law enforcement. Following his arrest, the judicial process began to unfold. In December 2019, a jury found Haughton guilty of two counts of first-degree murder for the deaths of both Robert Hewitt and Lance Loveless. Prosecutors presented a compelling case, revealing that Haughton had killed Loveless to steal his firearm. Just five days later, he used that same weapon to end Robert Hewitt's life, reportedly because he believed Hewitt had shown disrespect to one of his friends. In addition to the murder convictions, Haughton was also found guilty on several other charges, including robbery and armed criminal action.
