In the quiet community of Moscow Mills, Missouri, the life of 36-year-old Robert 'Rob' Justin Woods, a male St. Louis County police officer, was tragically cut short on the morning of Saturday, December 24, 2022. A decorated officer and a former United States Marine, Woods was a devoted father to his young daughter, Amelia Ruth Woods. His dedication to service was well-known, having been with the St. Louis County Police Department for five years where he was assigned to the North County precinct.
The events that unfolded on that Christmas Eve morning were the result of a domestic dispute. Woods had gone to a residence in an unincorporated part of Lincoln County to pick up his daughter. It was there that he was met by his former father-in-law. In a sudden act of violence, the older man shot Woods multiple times in the torso before turning the gun on himself.
When deputies from the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office arrived at the home on Emerald Court following a report of shots fired, they discovered the bodies of both Robert Woods and the shooter. Investigators quickly determined the incident to be a murder-suicide, concluding that Woods' ex-girlfriend's father was the perpetrator. Because the suspect took his own life at the scene, there were no arrests made in connection with Woods' death, and authorities confirmed there was no ongoing threat to the public. The loss of Officer Woods was described as 'immeasurable' by the St. Louis County Police Association, which pledged its full support to his grieving family, especially his young daughter.
