On the morning of September 16, 2022, the Springfield Police Department responded to a call regarding a shooting in a residential neighborhood of Springfield, Missouri. Officers arrived at an alleyway in the 1800 block of North Lyon Avenue shortly after 10:00 a.m., where they discovered a male victim inside a vehicle who had sustained fatal injuries.
The victim, identified as 52-year-old Charles Douglas Tart, had suffered multiple gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigators quickly gathered information pointing to a specific suspect, identifying 40-year-old Robert S. Parmley Jr. as the alleged shooter. According to reports from the scene and witness accounts, the violence stemmed from a neighborhood dispute. It was believed that Tart and Parmley had engaged in an argument after Tart's dog reportedly got loose. As Tart attempted to leave the area in his vehicle following the confrontation, he was fired upon and killed.
A manhunt ensued for Parmley, who fled the scene in a silver 2006 Ford Expedition. Authorities issued warnings that the suspect was considered armed and dangerous, urging the public to report any sightings of the vehicle or the individual. Several days later, law enforcement located Parmley’s vehicle, but the suspect remained at large.
The search concluded nearly a week after the homicide, on the night of September 22, 2022. Police officers were dispatched to a residence in Springfield after receiving reports that Parmley was inside and making suicidal statements. Following a standoff that lasted several hours, the department’s Special Response Team executed a search warrant and entered the home. Inside, they found Parmley deceased from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, effectively ending the investigation into the death of Charles Tart without a trial or conviction.
