Nicholas Heath Hudlow, a 39-year-old resident of Caulfield, Missouri, was shot and killed at a home on County Road 6790 near E Highway in Moody, Missouri, during the early morning hours of February 9, 2019. Emergency responders found Hudlow inside the residence with a gunshot wound; he was taken to Ozarks Medical Center in West Plains and was pronounced dead at about 11:03 p.m. that night.

Howell County Sheriff’s deputies investigated the scene after the homeowner, Michael R. Chezem, placed a 911 call reporting the incident and allegedly told dispatchers he had fatally shot Hudlow. Deputies recovered a .22-caliber rifle at the property that matched the description of the weapon used. Chezem, described in reports as a friend of Hudlow, was arrested and charged with second-degree murder and armed criminal action and held on $150,000 bond. He did not assert self-defense in his initial statements to authorities.

The case was moved to Douglas County by court order for a change of venue, and trial scheduling encountered multiple delays through early 2020. Are there witnesses or local details anyone can add about Hudlow, Chezem, or the events that night?