On Christmas Eve, December 24, 2017, a violent confrontation unfolded at an apartment complex in Joplin, Missouri, resulting in the death of 47-year-old Sean A. Harris. Officers from the Joplin Police Department responded to reports of a shooting at a residence located at 627 South Byers Avenue. Upon arrival, they discovered Harris suffering from multiple gunshot wounds, including at least one to the chest. He was transported to Freeman West Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The initial investigation revealed that the violence stemmed from a personal dispute involving a woman who was present at the apartment.
Investigators quickly identified the primary suspect as Artilius Jordan, a 47-year-old Joplin resident. According to probable cause statements, Jordan had gone to the apartment to confront Harris, believing the victim was engaged in a sexual relationship with Jordan's girlfriend. Witnesses stated that as Harris was descending the stairs of the apartment building, Jordan produced a handgun and fired at him. Jordan was allegedly accompanied by two other men, Moses Ramsey and Joseph Czahor. Reports indicated that Ramsey, 27, had encouraged Jordan during the encounter. following the shooting, the suspects fled the scene with the girlfriend in a pickup truck. During the escape, a struggle ensued in the vehicle where Jordan reportedly assaulted the woman, causing the gun to discharge accidentally and strike Czahor in the back.
Police launched a manhunt for the suspects, leading to multiple arrests in the days following the holiday murder. Moses Ramsey was taken into custody on December 26 without incident. Artilius Jordan was captured on December 28 at a residence on South Jefferson Avenue. Both men were initially charged with first-degree murder, felony assault, and armed criminal action. As the legal proceedings advanced, Ramsey reached an agreement with prosecutors to have the murder charges against him dropped in exchange for his cooperation and testimony against Jordan. Ramsey was later sentenced to ten years in prison for a separate kidnapping and assault case. Jordan faced significant delays in his prosecution, including a court-ordered mental evaluation, with a trial date eventually scheduled for early 2020. Reports indicated that his potential prison sentence was later capped at 20 years.
