On the evening of May 16, 2022, a violent incident unfolded in Joplin, Missouri, claiming the life of 46-year-old male Kenneth Jay Mathews. At approximately 6:06 p.m., the Joplin Police Department’s Emergency Communications Center received a 911 call reporting gunshots near the intersection of 5th Street and Connor Avenue. Dispatchers were alerted while officers were en route that two individuals had been struck by gunfire and that the perpetrators had fled the scene.
Upon arriving at
the location, law enforcement discovered Mathews suffering from apparent gunshot wounds. Despite the response, he was pronounced deceased at the scene. A second victim, another adult male whose identity was initially withheld, was found with multiple gunshot wounds and was transported to a local hospital in critical condition. Police secured the area and began a homicide investigation, later sending Mathews' body to Ozark, Missouri, for an autopsy.
Witnesses and initial reports indicated that the suspect or suspects fled the area immediately following the shooting in a dark-colored passenger vehicle. In the days and months following the murder, detectives continued to seek information from the public, but no specific suspects were publicly named or taken into custody in the immediate aftermath. The case remained an active investigation as authorities exhausted attempts to locate those responsible for the violence that occurred in broad daylight.
Kenneth Jay Mathews, known affectionately to friends and family as 'Jay' or by his nickname '1 Big Chopz,' was a resident of Joplin. Those close to him described him as a 'giant teddy bear' with a caring personality. He left behind two sons, Kaleb Mayhew and Xavier Mathews, as well as a large extended family including siblings and an aunt. As of the last available updates, the murder remained unsolved with no arrests reported, leaving the community and his family waiting for justice.
