Man pleads guilty in death of his next-door neighbor

On Monday a Mid-Missouri suspected pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and first-degree assault after the death of his neighbor in 2013. Jake Gastler was accused of killing Zachery O’Connor, 30, and seriously assaulting the victim’s father, Michael O’Connor.

The attack happened early August 31, 2013, at 1091 Blue Ridge Road off State Road B, east of Auxvasse. At first, Gastler told investigators that he found his next-door neighbors lying on the floor covered with blood.

Deputies say they collected further evidence that did not match his story. Court documents claim Gastler admitted to punching Zachery and Michael repeatedly in the head, after Zachery pulled his shirt during a fight.

Officials say Gastler also tried performing CPR on Zachery. At the time, Gastler’s mother told ABC 17 News that he is a war veteran who is not violent and still struggling to cope with his experiences in Afghanistan.