Man killed by vehicle had been charged with domestic assault

A month before his wife killed him by hitting him with a vehicle, Lonnie Eugene Masters, 45, of Delta was arrested and charged with second-degree domestic assault, unlawful use of a weapon and misdemeanor child endangerment.

After the Oct. 15 incident, Judge Scott Lipke granted Masters’ wife a full order of protection Oct. 26, stating Masters could not come within 500 feet of the petitioner.

Capt. David James said the Cape Girardeau County Sheriff’s Department investigation thus far indicates Masters’ wife was acting in self-defense when she hit him with a vehicle Saturday.

Earlier that day, Masters had abducted her and their 4-year-old child and was driving around the Delta area, according to a statement filed by sheriff’s deputies.

Masters had threatened to kill them and himself, according to the statement.

James said the sheriff’s department still is investigating and will file reports with the Cape Girardeau County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office when the investigation is complete.

He added his office will not recommend charges against Masters’ wife.

On Oct. 15, sheriff’s deputies met Masters at the Delta Quick Mart, according to a probable-cause statement filed by deputy Lori Droge.

Masters said he and his wife had been in a physical altercation at their residence in the 600 block of County Road 256, where she had punched him in the eye and fired a gun in his direction, Droge wrote.

“People lie to us all the time,” James said.

According to Droge’s statement, Masters’ wife said she told Masters she hated him, and then he pointed a gun — which he had pulled out of a sock drawer — to his head.

Minutes later, Masters’ wife heard a single gunshot, saw him lying on the dining-room floor on his stomach and screamed with panic before finding out he was not hurt, Droge wrote.

Masters said the gun went off in his hand, according to the statement.

His wife then said she did not care whether Masters killed himself, to which he responded, “I’m not killing myself; I’m killing you,” Droge wrote.

Masters grabbed his wife’s arm, put the gun to her head and dragged her down the hallway to the bedroom, but she punched him in the face and ran into the dining room, Droge wrote.

Masters punched his wife in the face, hit her in the back when she was down and took her phone so she could not call police, Droge wrote.

Deputies found a bullet hole in a kitchen cabinet and a bullet in the garage area, Droge wrote.

James said Masters’ wife’s injuries confirmed her version of events, and Masters’ shirt tested positive for gunshot residue.

Droge’s probable-cause statement recommends charges of first-degree domestic assault and first-degree endangering the welfare of a child, class B and C felonies.

“We file what we think based on the elements of the crime. If it’s reduced a notch, that’s up to the prosecuting attorney,” James said. “If there’s a weapon involved, to me, it makes it first-degree domestic.”

Lipke set Masters’ bond at $25,000 cash or surety. Masters posted bond Oct. 18 through bondsman Dwight Gates.

James recommends people with an order of protection call the sheriff’s department as soon as possible if they see their harasser. He added Masters’ wife may not have had an opportunity to do so.

Lipke and Cape Girardeau County Prosecuting Attorney Chris Limbaugh could not be reached for comment.

bkleine@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3644

Pertinent address:

600 block of County Road 256, Cape Girardeau, Mo.