On September 30, 2005, a violent tragedy unfolded in the rural community of Anderson, Missouri, claiming the life of 47-year-old Laura Dawn Burr McCool. A female resident of the area, Laura was at the home of her father-in-law, 70-year-old Orlie Wade McCool, assisting him with groceries when the incident occurred. The quiet atmosphere of the McCool residence was shattered when an intruder entered the premises armed with stolen weapons.
The perpetrator, identified as Levi King, had
recently been ejected from his father's nearby home following a domestic dispute. After breaking into his father’s gun cabinet and stealing several firearms, King made his way to the McCool property. Inside the home, he ambushed the family, fatally shooting Orlie McCool once and firing multiple rounds at Laura McCool, ending both of their lives. Following the murders, King stole Orlie’s pickup truck and fled the state, embarking on a drive that would lead to further violence in Texas.
Law enforcement officers discovered the bodies the following day, September 30, 2005, after family members were unable to reach the victims. Investigators at the scene recovered shell casings that matched ammunition from the firearms reported stolen by King’s father. A nationwide alert was issued for the stolen vehicle, which was eventually intercepted later that night by border patrol agents in El Paso, Texas. King was taken into custody while attempting to re-enter the United States from Mexico, with the murder weapons found inside the truck.
In the legal proceedings that followed, Levi King was extradited to Missouri to face charges for the deaths of Laura and Orlie McCool. In 2008, facing the prospect of capital punishment, King accepted a plea agreement. He pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree murder in a Missouri court. Consequently, he was sentenced to two consecutive terms of life in prison without the possibility of parole, ensuring he would remain incarcerated for the remainder of his life for the crimes committed in Anderson before facing additional prosecution for his subsequent actions in Texas.
