VAN BUREN — A Carter County jury deliberated about five hours Thursday in convicting an Ellsinore man of the July 2018 shooting death of an acquaintance.
Jason E. Roberts, 45, was convicted of the Class A felony of first-degree murder and the unclassified felony of armed criminal action (ACA), according to Carter County Sheriff Rick Stephens.
Roberts was convicted of the July 17, 2018, death of Rudy H. Hernandez. The 34-year-old died from a gunshot wound to the head.
The three-day trial began on Tuesday, with the jury being seated late that afternoon.
Although two panels of potential jurors were available, “they were able to get the jury off the first panel,” Stephens said.
The state, represented by Missouri Assistant Attorney General Jennifer Coffin and Carter County Prosecuting Attorney Hannah Pender, presented its case on Wednesday, resting its case late in the day, Stephens said.
Details about the state’s evidence was not available by press time.
According to earlier reports, authorities learned of Hernandez’s death at about 12:10 a.m. July 17, 2108, when deputies with the Carter County Sheriff’s Department and the East Carter Ambulance Services were sent to a home on County Road 327 (Elm Springs Road) in Ellsinore for a reported shooting.
Witnesses identified Roberts, who had a dispute with Hernandez the prior evening, as the alleged shooter and reported he had fled Hernandez’s home on foot, armed with a rifle.
An extensive manhunt was conducted by officers with the sheriff’s department, Missouri State Highway Patrol and Ellsinore Police Department.
After four days on the lam, Roberts turned himself in to deputies and was taken into custody without incident in the Ellsinore area.
Authorities earlier described Roberts as an acquaintance of Hernandez.
Stephens said the defense, represented by Tim Fleener with the Public Defender’s Office, presented its case on Thursday, resting around 1 p.m.
When contacted, Fleener declined comment.
The jury began its deliberations at little after 4 p.m. and returned its verdict just after 9 p.m., according to Stephens.
After accepting the jury’s verdict, Circuit Judge Steven Privette ordered a sentencing assessment report be completed by Probation and Parole and set sentencing for Dec. 9.
At that time, Roberts faces life imprisonment without the possibility of probation or parole. The ACA charges carry a mandatory minimum three-year sentence.
“I’m very thankful for my staff who worked extremely long hours and the Missouri Attorney General’s Office and Missouri Public Defender’s Office who worked diligently on the case,” Stephens said.
The sheriff also expressed his appreciation to the officers with Missouri State Highway Patrol and Van Buren and Ellsinore police departments who helped with courtroom security.
Carter County has a small department and most of its staff, Stephens said, were subpoenaed for the trial, which is why the assistance from the other departments was so important.
Stephens also offered “special thanks to the jurors who committed their time to ensure our judicial system worked smoothly.”
Messages left for Pender were not returned by press time.