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A man accused of murdering his ex-girlfriend and her 17-year old son was shot to death while the police were trying to capture him on Saturday, the 23rd of May 2015, near Knob Noster, Missouri.
The police had been looking for James Barton Horn, aged 47 for quite a while before attempting to capture him a few days ago.
He allegedly killed his former girlfriend, Sandra Kay Sutton and Zachary Wade Sutton, whose bodies were found on Thursday, the 21st of May. They were found dead in a house belonging to one of Sandra Sutton’s relatives, not far from Sedalia, where she had previously lived with Horn.
Sutton and her son had moved there after managing to escape the house she shared with James Horn, who had held them both captive in a wooden box placed in his bedroom from January to April, allowing them to get out only in the evenings, when he was at home.
The woman managed to get away eventually and told the police everything on April 30. The police found the 100-inch-long, 52-inch-tall and 45-inch wide box in which Sandra and Zachary were held captive.
Her ex-boyfriend was then charged with kidnapping, unlawful use of weapons and armed criminal action. However, he remained free, as he managed to hide from the authorities, which gave him time to shoot and kill his ex-prisoners.
Horn knew all of Sutton’s relatives and their work schedules, so it was easy for him to find a moment when the two were alone in the house.
The bodies were found at 4.30 a.m. by one of the members of the house. The police searched the area and a tip they got on Saturday morning helped them to finally find Sutton in an abandoned building, not very far away, at the J.N. Turkey Kearn Memorial Wildlife Area.
He was hiding in a closet and he was armed. Sergeant Bill Lowe, a representative of Missouri State Highway Patrol, said that he was ordered to get out but he refused to do so and threatened the policemen that he would fire his gun. Even if it is not clear if he did so, he was shot to death.
The investigation is still going on, as officials are going to determine if the weapons match.
Many voices asked questions regarding the lack of police protection for Sandra and her son. Clinton Police Lieutenant Sonny Lynch explained that she hadn’t asked for an order of protection and the police were unaware that she was living in the area.
Members of the community are extremely relieved to find out that Horn is dead, given the fact that he was an extremely dangerous individual.
Horn had served time in prison before. He was imprisoned for three years in Tennessee because he had kidnapped and raped one of his former girlfriends in the early 90s. Several years later, he performed a similar attack on his ex-wife, whom he abducted and assaulted. He was then sentenced to almost 13 years as well as five more years supervised release.
Federal prosecutors were not able to extend his prison time when he was released, even if he was regarded as an extremely dangerous person. He was diagnosed with narcissistic personality disorder and explosive personality disorder when he was convicted for his first crime.
After Sandra’s and Zachary’s bodies were found, the police offered a $ 5000 for anyone who was able to offer information about the suspect.
Image Source: Theguardian
