Late on the night of February 19, 2023, emergency dispatchers in Camden County, Missouri, received a chilling 911 call from a residence in the rural community of Edwards. The brief connection captured the sounds of a struggle and a voice pleading for someone named 'Alex' to put a gun down before the line went dead. Deputies and medical personnel were immediately dispatched to the scene, a camper located near the intersection of State Road FF and Pine Cove Road.
Upon their arrival, they discovered a chaotic scene involving three family members.
Inside the residence, authorities found 56-year-old Eric L. Cantrell deceased on the living room floor from an apparent gunshot wound. A second victim, 54-year-old Tammy Marie Larrabee, was found alive but suffering from a severe gunshot injury. She was critically wounded and required immediate evacuation. Emergency responders arranged for her transport by air ambulance to University Hospital in Columbia, Missouri, where medical staff worked to treat her injuries.
During the initial investigation at the scene, deputies encountered 19-year-old Alexander O. Cantrell-King, a relative of both victims. He provided a statement to investigators claiming that he had heard a gunshot inside the camper and rushed in to find Larrabee holding a 30-30 rifle near the body of Eric Cantrell. He alleged that he wrestled the firearm away from her, and during the struggle, the weapon accidentally discharged, striking her.
However, as Larrabee was being transported to the hospital, she provided a conflicting account to emergency personnel, identifying Alexander Cantrell-King as the shooter. Investigators noted that the physical evidence at the scene supported her statement and contradicted the teenager's version of events. Based on this information, Alexander was taken into custody and transported to the Camden County Adult Detention Facility.
Tammy Marie Larrabee fought for her life for several days but ultimately succumbed to her injuries, passing away at the hospital on Friday, February 24, 2023. Following the incident and her subsequent death, Alexander O. Cantrell-King was charged with first-degree murder, first-degree domestic assault, and two counts of armed criminal action. He was held without bond as the legal proceedings commenced.
