On the afternoon of June 26, 2015, in the quiet suburb of Oakville, Missouri, 84-year-old Betty Lou Knight was spending a peaceful day at her home with her husband of 65 years, Dale Knight. Around 3:30 p.m., the couple was sitting together on their back porch enjoying the weather when a sudden gunshot rang out. Betty was struck in the neck by a bullet, collapsing immediately. Her husband, who initially did not realize she had been shot until he saw the wound, called 911.
Despite the arrival of emergency responders, Betty was pronounced dead at the scene.
St. Louis County police launched a homicide investigation, initially ruling out a home invasion or any direct attack by her husband, who was quickly cleared of suspicion. Investigators determined that the fatal shot had likely come from a distance and began canvassing the neighborhood for the source of the gunfire. The inquiry eventually focused on a neighbor, Raymond Bodicky, who lived nearby. Police suspected that the bullet which struck Knight was a stray round fired from his property. Reports indicated that Bodicky may have been shooting at squirrels in his yard, a violation of local ordinances regarding the discharge of firearms in the residential area.
Despite identifying Bodicky as the primary suspect, prosecutors faced challenges in filing criminal charges. The St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office reviewed the case but ultimately declined to issue criminal charges, citing insufficient evidence to prove the necessary criminal intent or recklessness required for a conviction under state law. However, Betty Knight's family pursued justice through the civil court system, filing a wrongful death lawsuit against Bodicky. The suit alleged that his negligence in discharging a weapon across property lines directly caused her death. In May 2016, a judge approved a settlement in the civil case, ordering Bodicky to pay $100,000 to the victim's family.
