On March 3, 2017, police in Saint Joseph, Missouri, found 50-year-old Jeffrey Mason dead in the couple’s bedroom of a single gunshot wound to the chest. A handgun was located on a dresser nearby and Angela Mason was present; she initially told officers the weapon discharged accidentally during a struggle after an argument.

Investigators said evidence contradicted the accidental-discharge story and charged Angela Mason in connection with Jeffrey’s death. Prosecutors later alleged she staged the scene, sent text messages to manufacture a paper trail and fabricated claims of domestic abuse to justify the killing. The defense argued the marriage was abusive and described both partners as privately struggling with gender identity issues, portraying Angela as acting out of desperation.

In December 2019 a Buchanan County jury acquitted Angela of second-degree murder but convicted her of voluntary manslaughter and armed criminal action. At her February 2020 sentencing the judge ordered consecutive terms totaling 23 years; she admitted in court that she pulled the trigger and said she was remorseful.

Did anyone in Saint Joseph know Jeffrey or have information about the events on March 3, 2017?