Phelps County man accused of killing father

ST. JAMES, Mo. (KMIZ)

A St. James man has been accused of shooting and killing his own father on Monday morning.

Samuel Karlinski, 19, is charged with second-degree murder and armed-criminal action. He is being held in the Phelps County Jail without bond, according to the Phelps County Sheriff’s Office’s Facebook page. A court date has not been set.

The Sheriff’s Office received a call at 8:51 a.m. Monday from a caller who said Karlinski shot his own father, Ralph Karlinski, three times in the 12000 block of County Road 2220, according to the probable cause statement.

Samuel Karlinski allegedly told law enforcement that he shot Ralph Karlinski twice in the chest and once in the head in self-defense, according to the probable cause statement. It was determined by investigators that Ralph Karlinski was not shot in the chest, but was shot in the head twice, the statement says.

Law enforcement also found a gun and several shell casings in the bedroom where the victim was found.