On the night of February 19, 2023, a family disturbance at a rural Edwards, Missouri property near State Road FF and Pine Cove Road ended in a fatal shooting. Camden County deputies responded to a brief 911 open line that captured a voice pleading for someone to put a gun down and sounds of a struggle. Responders found 56-year-old Eric L. Cantrell dead on the living room floor of a camper from a gunshot wound; a female family member also suffered a gunshot wound to her abdomen and was airlifted for treatment.

Investigators encountered 19-year-old Alexander O. Cantrell-King at the scene. He initially told police the woman had been holding a .30-30 rifle and an accidental discharge occurred during a struggle, but the injured woman later identified Cantrell-King as the shooter while being transported for care. Physical evidence at the scene supported her identification. Cantrell-King was arrested and charged with first-degree murder, first-degree domestic assault, and two counts of armed criminal action in connection with Eric Cantrell’s death and the woman’s shooting.

If anyone saw activity near State Road FF and Pine Cove Road on February 19, 2023, or has information about the people involved, please share what is known.