Carissa L. Gerard, 38, was killed on the morning of June 10, 2015, at a residence in west Joplin, Missouri. A lifelong resident of the area and a 1995 Carthage High School graduate who worked in healthcare, Carissa had opened her home to a friend, Kristina Thompson, after Kristina separated from her husband.

Thompson, arrived at the property and confronted the two women. As Carissa and Kristina ran to the backyard and tried to climb a fence to escape, Stephen discharged a twelve-gauge shotgun, striking both women. Carissa sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene; Kristina was critically wounded but survived and later provided testimony about the attack.

The case went to trial in September 2021, where the jury found Stephen Thompson guilty of first-degree murder for Carissa’s death, first-degree domestic assault for the attack on his wife, and two counts of armed criminal action. Did anyone who knew Carissa or saw the neighborhood that morning notice anything that could add detail to the timeline?