In the early morning of July 5, 2024, a double homicide occurred at a residence on West Chestnut Street in Springfield, Missouri. Officers arrived around 3:12 a.m. after reports of a shooting and found 46-year-old Jack Osborn dead of a gunshot wound. A second victim, 44-year-old Melissa Estelle Evans Smith, was found with gunshot injuries and was transported to a hospital in critical condition; she later died of her wounds, recorded as the city’s sixth and seventh homicide victims of the year.

Detectives developed a timeline from witness statements and nearby surveillance. A man identified as 39-year-old Jeffrey Garrett reportedly arrived at the home but was refused entry; a witness said Garrett made unwanted sexual advances toward Melissa that she rejected. Surveillance captured audio of the shots, and Garrett was identified as the prime suspect but had fled before police could arrest him.

If anyone has information about Garrett’s whereabouts in July 2024 or about the events at the West Chestnut Street residence, please come forward.