Shannon L. Tate, 48, died from a gunshot wound to the head at his Smithville, Missouri home on December 11, 2020. He was taken to a local hospital and later died. His fiancée, Lori Ackerman, was at the scene and, after a lengthy interrogation, confessed to shooting Tate; she was arrested and charged with second-degree murder and armed criminal action with bond set at $1 million.

Ackerman spent over a year in jail before release on bond. At an April 2024 trial her defense argued the confession was coerced and that Tate had taken his own life. Forensic testimony noted only Tate’s DNA was found on the gun’s trigger, not Ackerman’s. The original medical examiner ruled the death a homicide, but a later review described the wound as a contact wound with a muzzle imprint and soot, which the reviewer said could be consistent with either suicide or homicide. The jury acquitted Ackerman after less than two hours of deliberation. Ackerman later filed a lawsuit alleging her confession was coerced and the initial autopsy findings were falsified.

Are there any witnesses or evidence from December 11, 2020, that readers in the Smithville area can help clarify?