Who is Matthew Dedmon? Missouri pastor arrested in connection to fatal shooting of man

Matthew Dedmon, an individual claiming to be a pastor, shot and killed a man for allegedly having an affair with his wife. 47-year-old Dedmon was arrested for the murder of 57-year-old Joe Newburn in Ozark, Missouri, as per the Ozark Police Department.

The murder took place on May 28. According to the police, officers responded to a reported shooting just before 1 p.m. in the 100 block of West Church Street where they discovered Newburn's body with multiple gunshot wounds.

Dedmon had driven his truck to the scene to meet his wife, but he found her with Newburn, reported a local news agency. Dedmon allegedly grabbed a pistol and jumped out of his truck to confront Newburn about the suspected affair before shooting him three times in the chest.

Newburn was pronounced dead after the body was taken to a hospital in Springfield, police said.

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Matthew Dedmon: The pastor who turned into a murderer

The accused in the case, Matthew Dedmon of Springfield, was initially taken into custody at the scene as a person of interest. Upon being questioned, Dedmon informed the investigators that he was a pastor at Heritage Baptist Church in Rogersville. Following his arrest, Matthew Dedmon was charged with first-degree murder and armed criminal action.

The arrest was made after investigators discovered a gun, the same weapon used to kill Newburn, inside Dedmon’s truck, according to local news outlets. Dedmon reportedly drove to the restaurant on Saturday, May 28, to meet his wife. However, when Dedmon arrived at the restaurant, he found his wife eating lunch with Newburn.

After his wife got into a vehicle with Newburn, Dedmon allegedly got out of his truck and confronted Newburn with a pistol, who remained in his car, as per authorities. Dedmon then shot Newburn three times in the chest. The victim was rushed to Cox South Hospital in Springfield, where he was pronounced dead.

Matthew Dedmon was arrested shortly after the fatal murder of Newburn and the gun he used was seized as well. Police say that Matthew Dedmon and Joe Newburn might have known each other.

Soon after, the Ozark police announced the shooting on their Facebook page, and the comments began pouring in. "What a big loss," one person wrote, while another person person who likely knew the victim said, "Joe was a good friend to me for the last 7 years. No one deserves to be shot down in broad daylight. I can't wrap my head around this."

Although the police do not believe that there is any present danger to the public, they have asked everyone to avoid the scene of the crime while investigations are underway.