Police: Son attacked parents with baseball bat

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- The son of a Poplar Bluff couple is in jail accused of repeatedly striking his parents with a baseball bat Tuesday afternoon.

Just after 12:30 p.m., Matthew Dale Jenkins called 911 and reported to Poplar Bluff police that he had arrived home to find his parents "severely assaulted."

When officers and emergency medical services personnel responded to the home in the 1900 block of Wilson Street, they found Carl Don Jenkins, 56, and his wife, Vicki M. Jenkins, 60, suffering from what deputy police chief Jeff Rolland described as "massive head trauma."

The two were taken by ambulance to Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center where they were stabilized. Carl Jenkins was transferred to St. Louis University Hospital; his wife was taken to Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau.

"The last information we had is they are both in critical condition," Rolland said.

The Butler County/Poplar Bluff Major Case Squad was activated to investigate the assault. Personnel from the police department, Butler County Sheriff's Department, Missouri State Highway Patrol's Division of Drug and Crime Control and Butler County Coroner's Office also responded.

Rolland said Carl Jenkins was assaulted while sitting in a chair, and Vicki Jenkins was attacked in a bed.

Carl Jenkins was "hit first," and both were injured for "just a short time before [their son] called 911," Rolland said.

"During the course of the investigation, we were interviewing family members, one of whom was Matthew Jenkins," Rolland said. "... When he told us what happened, there were some inconsistencies in his statement. There was evidence at the crime scene that didn't match the story he was telling us.

"After a lengthy interview with Matt and pointing out the issues we had with his statement and the evidence we had collected not supporting that statement, Matt informed us it was actually him who assaulted his mom and dad."

Rolland said Matthew Jenkins also had "evidence on his person and clothing."

After his interview, Jenkins, 27, was booked at the Butler County jail on suspicion of two counts of first-degree assault.

Pertinent address:

Poplar Bluff, MO