On May 25, 2014, authorities in Mexico, Missouri, began investigating the death of 34-year-old female Summer Hickman, who suffered a fatal gunshot wound at a residence on Audrain Road 923. Emergency responders transported Hickman to the Audrain Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead. The incident occurred on Memorial Day weekend, and law enforcement officials, including the Audrain County Sheriff’s Office and the Missouri State Highway Patrol, immediately treated the scene as the site of a suspicious death, launching an inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the shooting.
The investigation focused on Hickman's husband, Ricky John Harding Jr., who was present at the home. Harding initially claimed that his wife’s death was a 'freakish accident,' asserting that she had shot herself. However, prosecutors presented evidence contradicting this account, alleging that a domestic dispute had escalated into violence. They argued that Harding, a convicted felon prohibited from possessing firearms, had introduced a stolen Colt. 45 handgun into the home. Following the shooting, investigators stated that Harding dragged his wife to the garage and left her to bleed to death while her children waited in the dark for help, rather than immediately rendering aid.
Ricky Harding was arrested and charged with multiple offenses, including second-degree murder, domestic assault, armed criminal action, and endangering the welfare of a child. During his 2015 trial, the prosecution emphasized that his status as a felon in possession of a weapon served as the underlying offense for the felony murder charge. The jury found Harding guilty, rejecting his defense of an accidental self-inflicted wound. Following the conviction, the court sentenced him to a lengthy term in the Missouri Department of Corrections, with reports indicating a sentence of at least 30 years for his role in the homicide.
