The white male victim, identified as twenty-six-year-old Joshua Kelley, was discovered deceased in his residence located at 1040 South Missouri Avenue in Springfield, Missouri. In the early morning hours of December 11, 2014, at approximately 3:37 a.m., local law enforcement officers were dispatched to the home following a 911 call reporting the sound of gunfire in the neighborhood. A witness in the area also reported hearing a woman screaming around the time the shots were fired.
Upon entering the property, police located Kelley's body inside and secured the scene to begin processing evidence.
An autopsy performed by the Greene County Medical Examiner's Office subsequently confirmed that Kelley had died from gunshot wounds, ruling the death a homicide. Detectives with the Springfield Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Section interviewed witnesses and pursued various leads in the immediate aftermath of the shooting. Despite these efforts, the investigation encountered significant hurdles. Authorities noted that Kelley’s alleged involvement in selling marijuana complicated the inquiry, a factor that some close to the victim believed negatively influenced the detective's engagement with the case.
Years passed without any official suspects being named or taken into custody. While the case remained open, no arrests were made in connection with the murder. Frustrated by the lack of progress, Kelley's close friend conducted a personal investigation, claiming to have gathered information through secondhand accounts that identified specific individuals responsible for the shooting. These claims included allegations that a suspect had boasted about the crime, yet this intelligence did not lead to police action or criminal charges. Kelley's mother, residing in New York, expressed deep dissatisfaction with the handling of her son's case, criticizing investigators for what she perceived as a dismissive attitude toward the unsolved murder. To date, the individuals responsible for Joshua Kelley's death have not been brought to justice.
