John Jefferson
Left: Matthew Dedmon (Christian County Jail). Right: Joe Newburn (Facebook).
A Baptist pastor turned accused killer who’s been behind bars in Christian County, Missouri, for more than two years without heading to trial was issued a $30,000 bond, giving him a golden opportunity to get out of jail in a first-degree murder case.
The Ozark Police Department has said that Matthew Lynn Dedmon, a now 49-year-old from Springfield, on the afternoon of May 28, 2022, shot 57-year-old Joe Newburn multiple times in the chest on the 100 block of West Church Street after he allegedly spotted his wife with the victim at a restaurant in the Ozark Courthouse Square Historic District and violently lashed out over an affair, leading to Newburn’s death the next day at Cox South Hospital.
After Newburn’s death, Dedmon was charged with first-degree murder and armed criminal action and kept in jail without bond for more than two years as the case was bogged down by a discovery battle and a lingering fight over a “motion to endorse” witnesses to testify at trial.
Of note, Judge Laura Johnson in September 2022 refused to grant Dedmon a bond by writing that while there were “several factors […] in favor” of issuing a bond — “family ties; his financial resources; the length of Defendant’s residence in the community: and Defendant’s lack of criminal history” — there was a risk the defendant wouldn’t appear in court based on the “seriousness” of the alleged murder that also put the broader public in “grave danger.”
“The evidence is that Defendant possessed a loaded gun on the square in Ozark outside a busy restaurant, and that gun was discharged three to four times, resulting in the victim’s death. This put everyone on the square in grave danger. There was evidence that this conduct was out of character for Defendant, which causes concern about Defendant’s decision-making and judgment,” the judge wrote at the time. “The seriousness of the charge increases the risk that Defendant will not appear. For these reasons, the Court will detain Defendant without bond.”
That remained the status quo until Oct. 1, when the judge reversed herself and went from no bond to $30,000, the court docket reviewed by Law&Crime shows. Though the judge sided with the state’s “Amended Motion to Endorse Witnesses,” she also agreed to release Dedmon from jail on the condition that he “must wear a GPS and will remain on house arrest until further order of the Court.”
“Defendant may leave his home only for court appearances and emergency medical attention,” Johnson said.
A defense filing from before the ruling reveals that Dedmon, a pastor at Heritage Baptist Church, pointed to the Missouri Constitution and sought a bond on the ground that he is not charged with a capital offense and by accusing the prosecution of an “inexcusable act of late endorsements” from the state on trial witnesses.
“This case has been pending for well over two years. Counsel for Defendant has worked diligently during that time to ready this cause for trial. Just as Counsel for Defendant believed that depositions were concluded (as she had deposed all endorsed witnesses) and the matter was finally ready to set for trial, the State filed its motion to endorse, [redacted],” the filing said. “The Defendant adamantly opposes this motion to endorse. However, the Defendant submits that should the Court grant the State’s motion to endorse, in whole or in part, that the Defendant should be granted release on bond due to the State’s inexcusable act of late endorsements, which if allowed, will cause an inevitable lengthy delay of the Defendant’s trial.”
More Law&Crime coverage: Murder suspect back in custody after judge ‘inexplicably’ sets initial bail at $50K, which he posted a day after handyman slaying
As of Monday afternoon, Christian County Jail records did not show that Dedmon was released from custody.
Law&Crime reached out to the office of Christian County Prosecuting Attorney Kristen Tuohy to inquire on what the state’s position on bond was and whether she had a response to the defense’s complaint about an “inexcusable act of late endorsements.” Tuohy declined to comment, noting that the case is a “pending matter.” Law&Crime also sought comment from Stacie Calhoun Bilyeu, Dedmon’s defense attorney of record.
Matthew Dedmon in a more recent mug shot (Christian County Jail).
An obituary for Joe Newburn said the father of five and car enthusiast “has always been the guy next door that everyone wanted to know.”
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