Miner man charged with murder of parents

MINER, Mo. -- Miner residents expressed shock this week after the arrest of a local man accused of killing his parents.

Thomas Wayne McRoy, 37, is charged with two felony counts of first-degree murder and two counts of armed criminal action in the death of his parents, Larry McRoy, 62, and Roxann McRoy, 64, of Miner.

Larry McRoy's body was discovered Tuesday afternoon in the Mississippi River at the landing of the Dorena-Hickman Ferry. Roxann McRoy's body was found early Wednesday in the Mississippi River at Dorena, Missouri.

As news of the McRoys' deaths spread through the community Wednesday, resident Kathy Himes said she remained numb.

"Everyone is devastated," said Himes, who has lived next door to the McRoys for nearly 20 years.

Himes' husband and Larry McRoy were first cousins.

"You just keep thinking this can't be happening," Himes said. "This is Miner. I've lived here for almost 20 years. This doesn't happen in Miner. These are people you know and are related to."

Miner police chief Chris Griggs said his office was contacted Tuesday morning by the McRoys' other son, who resides in St. Louis. He requested officers go to his parents' house and check on them.

"When we got there, things didn't look quite right," Griggs said. "We started seeing traces of blood at the house. We did find a gun in the back of a truck that appeared to have been recently fired. So with all that combined, I made a decision to request the Major Case Squad."

As officers began their investigation, they were notified by Mississippi County, Missouri, authorities a body had been found in the Mississippi River near the Dorena-Hickman ferry.

The body later was determined to be that of Larry McRoy, who had a gunshot wound to the head, according to a probable-cause statement filed in connection with the case.

According to Griggs, the officers' investigation pointed them to Thomas McRoy as a suspect. Officers also believed Thomas McRoy may have fled to the family's cabin in Carter County, Missouri.

"The highway patrol actually ended up finding him in Carter County," Griggs said. "They arrested him. Of course, they interviewed him while we continued doing our work, collecting crime-scene evidence. From there he was officially charged."

According to the probable-cause statement, Thomas McRoy admitted he had shot his parents in the living room of their home with a .22-caliber rifle. He then put their bodies in the river.

The police chief said they have not yet determined the motive for the double homicide.

He said officers received information during their investigation that Thomas McRoy and his parents had some "issues."

Griggs noted the McRoys were longtime residents of Miner.

"I know Mr. McRoy years ago used to coach Little League baseball. They were very good people, involved in the community. It is obviously a very tragic event. Sometimes there are no words to express how this happens or the grief that goes with it," he said.

The McRoys lived at 211 Harrison St., which Griggs described as being in a close-knit neighborhood.

"Obviously everybody is so upset," Griggs said. "I can't give you the words, the grief that we are seeing and feeling as a city, as a police department over the magnitude of what has actually happened."

Himes described Larry and Roxann McRoy as givers.

"They know everybody and are involved in helping so many families -- families that aren't even in their family," Himes said.

Larry McRoy retired in January after working at Bo Ralph Distributing for years, Himes said.

"Larry knows everybody. He would give the shirt off his back for you -- even if it was his last shirt. If you asked him to drive to Blytheville (Arkansas) in the middle of the night for you, he would do it. He might ask a few questions, but he'd do it, because that was Larry," Himes said.

Larry McRoy loved children -- especially their three young grandchildren, Himes said.

Roxann McRoy adored her children and grandchildren, and since her retirement, she had enjoyed spending more time with them, Himes said.

As a cancer survivor, she also focused on volunteering.

"She worked for the state in social services and retired five years ago after 35 years," Himes said. "Roxann touched so many lives."

The McRoys owned a cabin at the Current River, where their family spent much of their time, Himes said.

"You pay your taxes, work and stay out of trouble, and you're supposed to retire and have a good life," Himes said.

Larry and Roxann McRoy didn't deserve to be murdered, Himes said, adding no one does.

"They were a very happy family," Himes said. "Nobody foresaw this."

Homicides are rare in Miner. The police chief said he and others had determined the last one in the community was in the 1980s.

He said he was proud of the work of his officers and the assistance received from others in law enforcement to bring a quick resolution to the case.

"Obviously we were very, very aggressive with this case," he said. "Obviously that worked out. Technically, under Missouri statute, there isn't one crime more serious than another, it is all due process. But when it comes to a murder of a mom and dad, allegedly being murdered by a son, that is pretty horrific."

Thomas McRoy is being held in the Scott County Jail with bond set at $200,000.

Pertinent address:

Miner, Mo.