On the morning of March 23, 2020, 35-year-old Joshua Shawn Phillips was found dead on the living room floor of a residence on West Buffalo Street in Bolivar, Missouri. Police responded to reports of shots fired at about 5:30 a.m.; a witness at the scene said they saw Michael James Ybarra Jr. use a semi-automatic pistol to shoot Phillips multiple times before fleeing.

Investigators noted a large bucket of spilled white paint at the scene and concluded anyone leaving the house would have to step in it. Law enforcement located Ybarra a few blocks away around 9:30 a.m.; after brief negotiations he was taken into custody. Officers found footprints of white paint and a pair of Ybarra’s boots with white paint on them in the apartment, and recovered a 9mm handgun.

Ybarra was charged with class A felony first-degree murder and felony armed criminal action in Polk County Circuit Court; the case was moved to Dallas County after a change of venue. He was held on $1.5 million bond and had rejected a plea offer; a jury trial was scheduled for October 18–22, 2021. If anyone knew Joshua or has information about the shooting, please share what can help the investigation.