A Missouri man has been arrested and charged with murder after law enforcement changed the ruling on a death from suicide to homicide. David Alan Stewart, 40, faces one count of first-degree murder and one count of armed criminal action for the death of 48-year-old Jerry McLay. In a separate case, Stewart is also facing three counts of receiving stolen property.
The incident began on November 14, 2024, when deputies from the Bates County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call about a death at a residence in Rich Hill, Missouri. McLay was found dead on a couch, having suffered a gunshot wound to the head. Initially, the death was ruled a suicide, but authorities found the situation suspicious. Notably, there was no weapon or shell casing recovered from the scene, which raised questions.
Further investigation led detectives to discover security footage from a camera positioned in an upstairs window of the residence. The video shows McLay leaving in a red truck around 12:20 p.m. on November 13, 2024. A few minutes later, the truck returned, followed by a gold SUV. The SUV left the scene at 12:32 p.m. but returned around 12:52 p.m. with a man, believed to be Stewart, driving. At 12:55 p.m., a gunshot can be heard on the footage, and the SUV leaves for the final time at 12:57 p.m.
Text messages exchanged between Stewart and McLay also added to the suspicion. Stewart allegedly texted McLay, saying, “My apology man I’ll be right back. Apparently I forgot the money at home.” McLay responded, “Ok.” This exchange seemed to suggest Stewart was at the residence with McLay on the day of the shooting.
Months after the incident, Stewart allegedly pawned several guns that had been reported stolen in Nevada. Some of these guns were believed to be linked to a residence in Bates County, and one was reportedly stolen from Tempe, Arizona. On January 13, authorities executed a search warrant at Stewart’s home in connection with the firearms case.
Two days later, Stewart was arrested and interviewed by deputies. During questioning, Stewart allegedly admitted to visiting McLay’s house on the day of the fatal shooting to purchase drugs. This led to the formal charge of murder.
Bates County Sheriff Chad Anderson emphasized the importance of thoroughly investigating all deaths as potential homicides until proven otherwise. He expressed pride in the investigative efforts, which spanned two months and involved multiple agencies. Anderson also extended his condolences to McLay’s family, stating that while progress had been made, justice would not be fully served until the case was resolved in court. The investigation is ongoing, with authorities continuing to follow up on leads.
Stewart is currently being held at the Vernon County Jail on a $1 million bond.
