Reserve sheriff and wife who owned gun shop killed in their home

[grady]

STLtoday - Mo. sheriff cites evidence of `hatred' in killings

Mo. sheriff cites evidence of `hatred' in killings
ASSOCIATED PRESS
10/14/2008

CARTHAGE, Mo. -- The weekend killings of a southwest Missouri couple in their rural Carthage home stunned their many friends, including a sheriff who said the manner of their deaths bore signs of "hatred."

Robert Sheldon, 70, and his wife, Ellen, 71, were reported dead by a son who went to their home Sunday morning when they failed to attend services at Carthage's Fairview Christian Church. The couple's dog was also killed.

The son told authorities he believed his mother had been shot.

But Jasper County Sheriff Archie Dunn -- whose department Robert Sheldon had served for 25 years as a reserve officer -- declined Monday to say how the couple was killed. Dunn said there was no known motive and no immediate suspects.

The Sheldons operated a gun and archery business known as the Old Cabin Shop on their property. The shop's building had been used as the county's first courthouse in 1841.

"Bob was kind of a slow, easy-going guy," Dunn said. "Everybody liked him."

But at a news conference, Dunn said the crime scene entailed certain "elements" not usually come across in local murders that he believed reflected a degree of "hatred" toward the victims. Dunn declined to elaborate on what he meant by that.

"It will all make sense to you later when you learn how these people died," Dunn said.

Another news conference was scheduled Tuesday morning at the Jasper County jail.

Dunn also declined Monday to say if either the home or the gun shop on the property showed signs of a break-in.

"The gun shop's got hundreds of weapons in there," Dunn said. "We don't know what may be missing at this time."

An avid outdoorsman well-known among hunters and fishermen, Robert Sheldon also had a deep interest in history.

Steve Weldon, Jasper county archivist, bought a black-powder gun from Robert Sheldon. He noted that Sheldon was involved in hunter-safety classes for many years.

"He was a great person, a wonderful guy," Weldon said. "He was a gun collector, but he enjoyed historic firearms. He wasn't a gun collector as much as he was a person who collected guns for historical purposes. He had a strong background in that.

"He had a real appreciation of history. That's why I liked him. We once did a re-enactment of the first county court in the old county court there."

The Sheldons' house is connected to the oldest surviving structure in Jasper County, the Hornback Cabin, which dates to before 1841. The first county court was staged in the cabin. The Old Cabin Shop, which Sheldon owned, is across a drive from the Hornback Cabin and the house.

Authorities said the Sheldons attended a church event Saturday evening.

They went home sometime between 7:30 and 8:30 p.m., and investigators believe they were still alive and well at that time based on information that someone had talked to them by telephone after they got home, Dunn said.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[ccman]

Very sad all the more reason to be armed always.

[Ram Rod]

Terrible in and of itself....but those who would do something like this to the elderly....a public hanging should top the list for those guilty of the crime.

[HotGuns]

A hanging with #3 Piano wire would be even better.

[XD in SC]

There is no punishment fit for someone that could do such a thing!

I can only pray for the family, and that there is enough evidence to find and convict the parties involved.

I hope he kept very accurate records.

[walvord]

Always always stay armed. This is the first I have heard of this incident - just terrible.

[dukalmighty]

It's hard to respond until you have more info,apparently the Sheriff feels as if the suspect will be somebody that feels they got ripped off or during his LE work had arrested somebody that held a grudge

[retsupt99]

This couple ran a gun shop and range? Sad story, for sure, but you would think that anyone like this guy would always be armed and in 'yellowish-orange', all the time.

I'm curious to hear all the facts...must have been some who was trusted.

[digitalexplr]

There's a lot to the details of the killing that has not been released to the media. The Sheriff will only say that the attack was very vicious.

No matter how good you think you are, don't ever think you can't be surprised.