A domestic dispute in Ethel, Missouri, on the evening of January 23, 2026, ended with the death of 51-year-old Lawrence Jackson. According to authorities, the argument began while Melinda D. Grigsby, 39, was preparing dinner and concerned the content of Jackson’s cell phone. The disagreement turned physical; deputies say Grigsby struck Jackson with a spatula, Jackson put Grigsby in a headlock, and a juvenile at the home intervened before the verbal fight continued.

Deputies report Grigsby then went to the master bedroom, retrieved a firearm from her purse, and loaded it. When Jackson entered the bedroom to continue the confrontation, she allegedly fired a single shot that struck him in the chest. Macon County deputies arrived around 5:45 p.m. and found Jackson dead from the wound. Grigsby was arrested and charged with First-Degree Murder and Armed Criminal Action and is being held in the Macon County Jail without bond.

Does anyone have information about the events at that address on January 23 that could help clarify what happened?