James R. J.R. Fannon, 41, was found dead in a roadside ditch near the borders of Henry, Pettis, and Benton counties close to Windsor, Missouri, on February 24, 2022. A passerby discovered the remains about 8:00 a.m., and the body’s location prompted a multi-jurisdictional investigation because it lay near county lines. Officials later determined the fatal shooting occurred just across the border in Pettis County during the early morning hours and the body had been abandoned in Henry County.

According to investigators, the events began shortly after midnight when a Windsor homeowner, Mark A. Fielder, allegedly saw people taking fishing poles from his property. Fielder and two others pursued the vehicle carrying Fannon and another person, forced it to stop on a county road, and a confrontation followed. Fielder is accused of pistol-whipping the driver and then struggling with Fannon, after which Fannon was struck in the head by a single gunshot. The driver then left the scene with Fannon still in the vehicle and later dumped the body in the ditch instead of immediately notifying authorities. It was nearly eleven hours before police were fully alerted to what had happened.

Does anyone have first-hand information about the area or the early-morning timeline that could help clarify what happened?