Cops: Man admits Ste. Gen. County killing By Kim Bell ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH 10/21/2008 STE. GENEVIEVE COUNTY, Mo. -- Prosecutors today charged a man with the killing of a 77-year-old man who earned a Purple Heart in the Korean War and suffered as a prisoner of that war. The suspect – Ronald D. Wright, 46, of Farmington -- was charged with first-degree murder, first-degree burglary and armed criminal action, police said. Wright is being held in the Ste. Genevieve County Jail without bond. The victim is John E. Shaw, 77, who earned a Purple Heart for his service in the Korean War and was a prisoner of war. Shaw was killed in a struggle in his home, which is about seven miles north of Farmington and in Ste. Genevieve County. Authorities said Wright confessed to the killing after a lengthy interview with investigators. A bloody fingerprint at the crime scene matched Wright’s fingerprint, authorities said. Shaw was killed by blows from a hammer, authorities said. They said Wright told them he allowed Shaw to have one last cigarette before killing him. Capt. Jason Schott of the Ste. Genevieve County Sheriff's Department said Wright has a lengthy criminal record for drugs, DWI and weapons violations, but no violent criminal history. Schott said authorities don't believe Shaw knew his killer. "As of right now, I don't think we can determine a motive," Schott said. "It was nothing more than a brutal killing. There was no robbery. We can't determine anything is missing from the house." Schott said the killer pulled up to Shaw's house, knocked on the door and asked if a particular person lived there. "The couple said, 'No, you've got the wrong house,'" Schott said. The man went back to his car and sat there for awhile, Schott said. A short time later, the man returned and killed Shaw in a struggle. Shaw lived with his wife, Jean, at the home. During the investigation, authorities said, neighbors reported seeing a gray pickup truck driving to and parking at Shaw’s house in the 2400 block of Collin Court at about the time of the killing. Neighbors described the pickup’s driver as a white man with a large mustache, wearing a baseball cap. Shaw’s wife told authorities that the man who killed her husband entered the house with no warning after coming to the door a second time and began assaulting John Shaw. While she ran out the back door, Shaw’s wife called 911 on a cordless phone. Then, authorities said, she hid in a patch of tall grass about 75 yards behind the house. She remained hidden in the grass until law enforcement officers arrived. Norm Tucker, 66, of Farmington, was one of John Shaw's best friends. He said they became friends while driving trucks to and from California for about five years. Shaw was a quiet man, Tucker said, who rarely talked about his days held captive in the war. Every year, Shaw would travel to the national POW gathering. "He was a war hero, he had a purple heart and was a POW -- he lived through that and some idiot had to go in his home and beat him death," Tucker said. "He was just a good friend and a good co-worker. I don't think he had an enemy in the world." Shaw was buried Monday at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery. In addition to his wife, Shaw is survived by five children, 13 grandchildren and five great grandchildren. Robert Kelly contributed some information for this story.
It makes one very sad to read such a report on the brutal slaying of a war veteran REST IN PEACE JOHN E SHAW
