On the evening of December 1, 2016, tragedy struck at a residence in rural Dent County, Missouri, when law enforcement officials received a distressing call regarding a shooting. The victim, 41-year-old Michael R. Gehm, a male resident who had recently returned to the area to be closer to family, was found deceased inside a home on County Road 4060.
Deputies arriving at the scene discovered Gehm with a fatal gunshot wound to the chin, an injury that authorities determined had severed his spinal cord. The surroundings were described as chaotic and unsanitary, with reports noting the presence of dog feces and missing carpeting in the house.
The events leading up to the shooting involved a dispute between Gehm and the homeowner, 55-year-old Fridjov N. Severud III. According to investigative reports, the two men were seated at a dining table covered in ammunition and firearms when an argument ensued. A witness who was on the phone with Gehm at the time of the incident reportedly heard the confrontation unfold. This witness told investigators that Severud asked the victim, 'How does that make you feel?' either immediately before or after the shot was fired. Severud himself contacted the Dent County Sheriff’s Office to report that he had shot his friend, claiming the act was the result of an altercation where he felt threatened, although investigators noted there was no physical evidence of a struggle at the scene.
Authorities arrested Severud, and he was initially charged with first-degree murder and armed criminal action. During the legal proceedings, the defense argued self-defense, citing the presence of weapons on the table and the heated nature of the argument. However, prosecutors maintained that the victim was not in immediate reach of the firearms and that the use of lethal force was unjustified. The case concluded two years later in December 2018, when Severud entered a guilty plea to a reduced charge of second-degree murder. Consequently, the armed criminal action charge was dismissed, and Severud was sentenced to ten years in the Missouri Department of Corrections.
