Brawl ends in deadly stabbing in Gasconade County
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
A brawl involving eight people ended in the stabbing death of a person in Owensville.
Henry W. Lorton, of Owensville, was charged Monday with second-degree murder and three counts of first-degree assault. The Missouri State Highway Patrol identified the man who died as Trey R. Johnson.
Investigators identified Lorton from surveillance video from a bar and restaurant that was near the fight, which occurred in a parking area in the 100 block of North First Street, according to a probable cause statement. One person was stabbed in the chest and pronounced dead at the scene, while three other people suffered cutting injuries, the statement says.
Two of the victims were taken to Mercy Hospital in St. Louis for treatment.
The fight happened at about 1:30 a.m. Sunday, and authorities arrested Lorton at his home about four hours later.
Lorton admitted to being in the fight and getting jumped by four men when he tried to walk away, according to the statement. He allegedly said he blacked out and the men were gone when he woke up.
Lorton told authorities that he did not have a knife and that he didn't stab or cut anyone, according to the statement.
Lorton is being held at the Franklin County Jail without bond. An initial court hearing was set for Tuesday.
In an interview with ABC 17, Scott Griffith, Owensville Police Chief, said that they have not seen a crime like this in a decade.
"In Owensville, we don't have a lot of major crime. Our last incident that would be considered a homicide occurred ten years ago. So we don't have this, a lot, as other places do," said Griffith.
Griffith said that because Owensville does not have crimes like these, it will take time to heal.
"Well, this is a tragic event for Owensville as we don't have, much, you know, major crimes such as this here. So people are just, you know, coming to terms with something that happened here, and that, we'll have to try to move past," said Griffith.
He added that he is grateful for the Missouri State Highway Patrol and other outside help to have a timely arrest, noting that the arrest happened roughly 16 hours after the crime.
"And all the other first responder agencies that came together that night in a small town where you have minimal staff on at any given time at that time of night that came together to make an efficient investigation," said Griffith.
