Bollinger County man dead of gunshot wound

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- The death of a Bollinger County man who was shot in his home late Friday night activated the Cape Girardeau-Bollinger County Major Case Squad, which decided Saturday afternoon to obtain specially trained dogs from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms to search for evidence.

Mike Strong, 49, of Scopus, Mo., was shot about 11:15 p.m. in his home. His fiancee, roused from sleep in an adjoining room, heard Strong shout to someone to "get out of my house," said chief deputy Leo McElrath of the Bollinger County Sheriff's Department.

After crawling under a bed to hide, the woman heard a gunshot and called 911, McElrath said. "She was sobbing," McElrath said. "She sounded very scared."

The woman stayed in hiding until deputies arrived and searched the house to make certain the shooter was gone, he said.

Investigators have identified "people of interest" but there is not enough evidence to pinpoint a suspect, McElrath said.

Strong was an employee of Big River Resources, a cable-laying company, McElrath said.

A search of the home didn't reveal any sign that anything was missing, he said. There were several firearms in the home.

Two dogs were in the yard when deputies arrived, and the home had no sign of forced entry.

An autopsy confirmed that a single gunshot wound to Strong's head was the cause of death. The nature of the injury was such that it was clear the wound was not self-inflicted, McElrath said.

No shell casings were recovered, and no gun has been found. The caliber or type of firearm used could not be determined, McElrath said.

The ATF will bring specially trained dogs to the scene Sunday to search for ballistic evidence, he said.

bdicosmo@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 245