Man sentenced for assaults on men who tried to stop attack on wife

GREENVILLE, Mo. -- A Patterson, Missouri, man was sentenced to 20 years in prison last week after pleading guilty to assaulting two men when they tried to intervene after he allegedly beat his pregnant wife.

Jonathan Cody Elliott, 33, pleaded guilty as charged to two counts of first-degree assault and two counts of armed criminal action, all felonies.

Elliott pleaded guilty to shooting his then-father-in-law, Richard Henson, and James Hastings, and his actions were a "substantial step" toward attempting to kill or cause serious physical injury to the men.

Elliott, said Wayne County Prosecuting Attorney Michael Jackson, made no statements, but he "just admitted that's what he did."

Circuit Judge Kelly Parker followed the state's recommendation in sentencing Elliott to 20 years on all four counts and ordered the sentences to run concurrently.

"These charges, due to the nature of the charge, require a longer period of time be served than lesser sentences," Jackson said. "I think (he'll serve) 85 percent before he is eligible" to be released on parole.

Jackson said the state dismissed the remaining charges Elliott faced.

Elliott's alleged actions had stemmed from what reportedly began as a domestic dispute with his eight-months-pregnant wife at their rural home in the Lick Branch community southwest of Piedmont, Missouri, in February 2014.

The victims had followed Elliott's vehicle when he left their home with his wife and got Elliott's vehicle stopped at Fourth and Elm streets in Piedmont.

The situation escalated from there, Piedmont police chief Richard Sanders said.

Elliott allegedly shot Henson with a shotgun, then used a handgun to shoot Hastings.

"Mr. Elliott told investigators he was angry with his wife over some missing money from their income tax refund," said Piedmont police Lt. Cory Thompson. "He was also angry because he believed she was having an affair."

Thompson said Elliott admitted to assaulting his wife in the car while driving down Fourth Street.

"He further stated that as he stopped the car, Mrs. Elliott's dad, Richard Henson, confronted him with a pistol, so he, Cody, shot Henson using a .410 shotgun," Thompson said. "Mr. Elliott said he was able to get the pistol from Henson and shot Hastings as Hastings was running away from him."

Pertinent address:

Piedmont, Mo.

Greenville, Mo.