Missouri pastor Matthew Dedmon, 47, has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of Joe Newburn, 57. Dedmon believed that Newburn was engaged in an extramarital affair with his wife.
Dedmon had been the pastor of Heritage Baptist Church, a KJV-only independent Baptist church in Rogersville, Missouri. The church’s website and Facebook page appear to have been taken down since Dedmon’s arrest. The congregation had been associated with Global Independent Baptist Fellowship.
According to KY3, investigators said Dedmon discovered his wife having lunch with Newburn on Saturday afternoon (May 28). Dedmon went to the restaurant in Ozark, Missouri, to contact his wife, whom he had seen in the same car with Newburn earlier that day.
RELATED: After Swastika Drawn on Door, San Francisco Church to Boost Security
Police said that after confronting Newburn and accusing the two of having an affair, Dedmon shot Newburn in the chest three times with a pistol.
Dedmon allegedly placed the pistol back in his vehicle. Police, who arrived on the scene just before 1 p.m., recovered it when they arrived, according to Springfield News-Leader.
Newburn was taken to a Cox South Hospital in Springfield, where he was ultimately pronounced dead.
RELATED: ‘Christian Society’ Values Guns Over Life, Says Jamie Foxx, Gun-Control Advocates
Dedmon was initially taken into custody on the scene as a person of interest, has now been charged with first-degree murder, and is being held without bail.
