Man faces murder charge in Howard County connected to Franklin homicide

FRANKLIN, Mo. (KMIZ)

Howard County prosecutors charged a man with a felony count of murder after a 22-year-old woman died from a stabbing following a disturbance at a Franklin residence.

According to a news release, Emmett S. Wood Jr., 44, of Franklin, faces a count of second-degree murder in connection with Courtney Clardy's, of Blackwater, death.

The news release states Clardy died from apparent stab wounds.

Court documents say Wood's father called 911 just before 5 p.m. on Monday after an unknown was found bleeding in his residence in the 400 block of Crews Street.

The court documents said Wood pulled the woman back inside the residence after she tried to leave. She fell, hit her head on the fireplace and started bleeding, the statement said.

The probable cause statement did not say when Clardy was pronounced dead.

Wood's father allegedly told deputies his son said "let her die, she's a cop," and then ran from the scene.

Missouri State Highway Patrol troopers arrested Wood near Highway 87 and Route Z after locating him on foot Tuesday afternoon.

Troopers say he was arrested after an unsuccessful search Monday that lasted from around 5:30 p.m. to around 1:30 a.m. Tuesday.

Troopers said force was used but the man received minor injuries and that not authorities were hurt.

Troop F spokesman Sgt. Scott White said some troopers and the patrol's aircraft division assisted the Howard County Sheriff's Office in the search Monday night.

Sgt. White said while the aircraft division was on the way to the scene, officers on the ground located Wood.

Then the aircraft was able to fly overhead and guide other officers to the arresting officers.

According to the news release, a Mid-Missouri Major Case Squad was used in this investigation.

Sgt. White said that squad is composed of several other agencies, where members come and assist departments in solving and working major crimes, assist with processing the scene, with interviewing witnesses and gathering any information.

"They're really called upon because of manpower," White said. "When you have a bunch of leads you have to run down, or a bunch of people you have to interview... that major case squad is very advantageous because it's a force multiplier. You get more people out there doing more things and it just makes the case go more efficiently and do."

Online jail records show Wood was booked into the Howard County Jail at 2:09 p.m. Tuesday.