5 key details about James Pruitt's murder 

James Pruitt was murdered on July 4, 2003. In 2004, James Pruitt's ex-girlfriend Lucille Duncan was convicted of this murder and was sentenced to life without parole although she did not plead guilty. Lucille's brother Gerald Duncan who pleaded guilty was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 25 years.

Lucille Duncan's 14-year-old son, who was an eye witness to this homicide was also sentenced to seven years of probation after he pleaded guilty to evidence tampering surrounding the murder of James Pruitt and aided with the investigation.

Lucille Duncan will feature in season 2 episode 4 of Snapped: Behind Bars airing on Oxygen on September 22, 2024, to tell her side of this homicide and how even after not pulling the trigger, she was sentenced to life. The episode is titled Lucille Duncan and the synopsis for the same reads:

"After spending 20 years in prison for a crime in which she claims no involvement, Lucille Duncan breaks her silence for the first time. She details the harrowing events that led to the shooting of her ex-boyfriend and her hopes of freedom."

---

James Pruitt was shot in the head from behind and 4 other crucial details surrounding his murder

1) James Pruitt was shot in the back of the head

The killer shot James on the back of his head (Image by Maxim Hopman/Unsplash)

44-year-old James Pruitt was shot in the back of the head on July 4, 2003. James was sitting in the front passenger seat of the car, which was driven by his ex-girlfriend, Lucille Duncan. The killer in the backseat, Gerald Duncan (Lucille’s brother), took out his gun and killed James Pruitt.

As reported by Oxygen True Crime, Gerald shot James in the heat of the moment.

---

2) The body was discovered one day later

James's body was discovered a day later after his murder (Image by Europeana/Unsplash)

James Pruitt’s deceased body was disposed of by the killer after he was killed. According to Oxygen True Crime, James's body was found in a forest, close to Gleason Road in Boone County, wrapped in a blanket on July 5, 2003, a day after he was killed.

---

3) A fourteen-year-old was a witness to this homicide

Lucille Duncan's son Jeremiah was a witness to this homicide and sat in the same car, at the time of the crime (Image by Sven D/Unsplash)

Reportedly, Lucille Duncan’s 14-year-old son, Jeremiah, was a witness to this homicide. He was traveling in the backseat of the car, seated next to his uncle (the killer), who, in the heat of the moment, killed James Pruitt.

When asked about why Gerald Duncan was carrying a gun along with him, Gerald revealed to Snapped previously that he, "liked having some protection.”

---

4) Lucille Duncan was charged with first-degree murder

After the investigations following James Pruitt’s death were wrapped up, Gerald Duncan pleaded guilty to the crime. He was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison with chances of parole after 25 years.

Lucille, on the other hand, did not plead guilty to the crime. Despite that, she was sentenced to life without parole and charged with first-degree murder after her son Jeremiah initially testified against her, and revealed to the authorities that Lucille and Gerald had planned the murder beforehand. It is to be noted that Jeremiah later recanted his statement stating that he was coerced.

---

4) Jeremiah changed his confession statement after 3 years

Reportedly, Lucille’s son Jeremiah, who had previously testified against her in court, withdrew his statement in 2007 and revealed that his earlier confession was forced, hence void. He also revealed that he was told that if he didn’t testify against his mother and uncle, he would be sent to prison for 20 years. Jeremiah in an affidavit later revealed that:

“I was 14 and scared. I was told that the authorities knew what the truth was and I didn't have any way of knowing any different because I just didn't remember the details they said were fact. I’ve been off the meds for over a year and still have big memory gaps. I’m sure as I can be there was no plan to shoot Jim..."

Lucille's mother, who also believes that the crime was not premeditated and her daughter is innocent, revealed to Columbia Missourian that:

"If you planned to do it, why would you bring your child with you...It just doesn't make sense..."

---

To know more about this case, watch season 2, episode 4 of Snapped: Behind Bars on Oxygen.