In the quiet community of Bixby, Missouri, the life of 51-year-old Donald Ray Barton Jr., a Caucasian male known affectionately as 'Little Donnie,' was tragically cut short on the evening of March 27, 2023. Motorists discovered Barton lying in Neals Creek Road with a gunshot wound to his stomach at approximately 8:00 p.m. He was airlifted to Missouri Baptist Hospital in Sullivan but succumbed to his injuries shortly after his arrival.
Born on October 25, 1971, in Washington County, Missouri, Barton grew up in the nearby town of Boss and was a graduate of Iron County C-4 School in Viburnum. He was known as a dedicated worker, having been a boilermaker with Local 27 in St. Louis and later doing carpentry work. An avid outdoorsman, he found joy in hunting and fishing. Those who knew him described him as fiercely loyal to his family and a devoted friend who considered his friends to be like family.
The investigation into Barton's death moved swiftly. On March 29, 2023, authorities arrested 25-year-old Lorenzo McGee of Bixby, charging him with first-degree murder and armed criminal action. The case saw a second arrest on April 3, 2023, when 48-year-old Jeffery Preston Asher, also from Bixby, was taken into custody and faced the same charge of first-degree murder.
As the legal process began to unfold, both McGee and Asher were held in custody awaiting court proceedings in Iron County. A bond hearing for McGee was scheduled, and a preliminary hearing for both men was set for June 1, 2023. Law enforcement officials indicated that the investigation remained active and that more arrests could be possible as they continued to delve into the circumstances surrounding Barton's violent death.
