On Tuesday, September 12, 2017, law enforcement officials in McDonald County, Missouri, launched a homicide investigation following a fatal shooting at a private residence near the community of Longview. The incident occurred in the morning hours at a home located on South Tiger Road, situated within the Rocky Comfort area. Authorities were alerted to the scene around 10:10 a.m. after receiving a distress call from the residence.
The caller reported that an intruder had entered the home and shot his son, 37-year-old Russell McClelland, multiple times.
Upon arriving at the scene, deputies and emergency medical personnel discovered Russell McClelland suffering from gunshot wounds. Despite the response, he was pronounced dead at the location. The McDonald County Sheriff’s Office immediately began a search for the suspect, who had fled the area prior to their arrival. Investigators identified the alleged shooter as 27-year-old Wade Woods, a resident of Goodman, Missouri. Information released to the public described Woods as driving a dark-blue-over-gold 1990s model Ford F-150 pickup truck equipped with a black angle iron ladder rack, and officials considered him to be armed and dangerous.
The manhunt for Woods continued throughout the day and into the late evening. Around 11:00 p.m. that same night, law enforcement located Woods, who was then operating a motorcycle. He attempted to evade capture, leading police on a short pursuit before being successfully taken into custody. Following his arrest, a warrant was issued charging Wade Woods with first-degree murder in connection with McClelland's death. In addition to the murder charge, authorities noted that Woods had outstanding warrants for possession of a controlled substance and endangering the welfare of a child.
