Skylar William Smock, 26, was shot dead near the front door of J. Pfenny’s in downtown Jefferson City on Saturday, November 26, 2022. He had been working at the restaurant and bar that night when a dispute erupted; a patron, 43-year-old Corey Thames, was also fatally shot in the same incident. Friends remembered Skylar as a devoted father to his daughter Adalyn, a self-taught chef and bartender, a 49ers fan, and someone who had built a new life after moving from South Carolina.

Authorities identified a suspect, Damien Davis of Kansas City, and charged him with two counts of first-degree murder plus five other felonies; court documents allege Davis, a convicted felon prohibited from possessing a firearm, walked past the bodies with a smirk. The Cole County prosecutor filed a notice of intent to seek the death penalty in the case.

Does anyone who knew Skylar, worked at J. Pfenny’s, or was in downtown Jefferson City that night have information to share?