On November 2, 2015, police in Springfield, Missouri, began investigating the death of 38-year-old male Jonathan L. McCrary, who was discovered deceased in the backyard of a residence on West State Street. Officers had initially responded to the home at approximately 8:25 a.m. following a 911 call reporting a disturbance. Upon their arrival, authorities learned that a heated argument had taken place, reportedly involving a financial dispute between McCrary and his nephew.
Although McCrary had left the scene by the time law enforcement first arrived, the situation escalated when he later returned to the property.
While officers were canvassing the neighborhood to locate individuals involved in the initial disturbance, they heard multiple gunshots originating from the property they had just visited. Returning to the scene, they found McCrary suffering from fatal injuries consistent with gunshot wounds; an autopsy later confirmed he had been shot eight times, with wounds indicating shots fired from both a distance and at close range. The investigation revealed that the dispute had intensified to the point of lethal violence, despite McCrary reportedly being unarmed at the time of the shooting.
Police apprehended the suspect, Preston B. Watts, at the scene, where he was taken into custody while armed. Watts, who was identified as the victim’s nephew and resident of the Springfield home, claimed he acted in self-defense, asserting that he feared for his life after McCrary threatened him upon returning to the house. Consequently, rather than a murder charge, prosecutors pursued a charge of first-degree involuntary manslaughter. The judicial proceedings acknowledged the complexity of the domestic confrontation and the suspect's claims of self-preservation. Ultimately, the court sentenced Watts to probation, a decision noted by the presiding judge as particularly difficult, which drew varied emotional responses from those following the case.
