Mitchell Duane Nickerson, 49, died after being shot in Moberly, Missouri. On July 8, 2021, officers found him with a gunshot wound to the head and he was taken to the University of Missouri Hospital. He died the next morning, July 9, 2021.

Police identified 79-year-old Jerry Fitzwater as a suspect the night of the shooting. Officers recovered a firearm at Fitzwater’s home and ammunition on his person. Investigators say Fitzwater allegedly admitted to the shooting, telling them he had decided to take matters into his own hands because he suspected drug activity in the neighborhood but that he was unsure exactly who he had shot.

Fitzwater was initially charged with first-degree assault; after Nickerson’s death the prosecution upgraded the charge to first-degree murder and also charged armed criminal action and unlawful use of a weapon. He was arraigned in Randolph County court in October 2021.

Did anyone in Moberly know Nickerson or have information about the events that night?