The Reporter covers Miller, Morgan and Camden County in Central Missouri's Lake of the Ozarks and is published once per week on Wednesdays.

Published October 12, 2022

Duncan found guilty in 2021 funeral home shooting

MILLER COUNTY – A man who fired shots in an Eldon funeral home in 2021 has been found guilty.

According to Miller County Prosecuting Attorney Ben Winfrey, last Wednesday (October 5) a Moniteau County jury found Bradley E. Duncan guilty of First-Degree Domestic Assault, Armed Criminal Action, and Unlawful Use of a Weapon. 

The jury recommended a prison sentence totaling 34 years in prison. 

Specifically, the jury found the Defendant guilty of attempting to kill his former wife on April 21, 2021, in Eldon, Missouri. 

The trial was heard in Moniteau County after a change of venue.

On April 21, 2021, Eldon Police were dispatched to the Mallard-Rekus Funeral Home for a report of shots fired in the business.

When police arrived on the scene they found a male holding a handgun with two other males restraining him.

The Eldon PD said the man, identified as Bradley E. Duncan, 56, of Chesterfield, MO, refused to release the weapon. Following a struggle, the officers were able to subdue Duncan and take him into custody.

According to police, Duncan had fired one round from a .45 caliber handgun and narrowly missed people present at the scene who had been attending a funeral service. No one was hit by the bullet.

“At this point in the investigation, our understanding is that the criminal act was a Murder-Suicide attempt,” An Eldon police spokesman said at the time. “We believe the sole target of the attempt was Duncan’s ex-wife and that he planned to commit the crime at the funeral service.”

First-Degree Domestic Assault and Armed Criminal Action are each punishable by up to fifteen years in prison and Unlawful Use of a Weapon is punishable by four years of incarceration. 

First-Degree Domestic Assault is a violent crime that requires the Defendant to serve 85 percent of his sentence before he is eligible for parole.

Winfrey said he is grateful for the quick response of the Eldon Police Department on April 21, 2021 and their hard work in solving this case.  

All content is Copyright 2022 by Reporter Publishing, L.L.C. Unauthorized reproduction is prohibited without written permission.