Thomas Ribby, 70, of Clinton, has been charged in the shooting death of a juvenile that occurred late on September 17, 2023.
Henry County Prosecuting Attorney, LaChrisha Gray, filed the case on behalf of the State of Missouri charging the defendant with felony resisting arrest and the class A felony of endangering the welfare of a child in the first degree resulting in death.
According to the probable cause statement, Clinton Police officers responded to the Clinton residence, finding the juvenile in front of the residence with an apparent gunshot wound. It also states that the defendant refused the orders of officers, instead retreating into the residence. The probable cause statement further indicates that the defendant later stated to law enforcement that he pointed the firearm at the juvenile and pulled the trigger but believed the firearm was unloaded. The probable cause statement additionally provides that detectives believe the juvenile can be heard in the 911 call stating that he had been shot by Ribby accidentally.
The Henry County Associate Judge Harold Dump issued a warrant for $100,000 cash only at the request of the prosecutor.
Endangering the welfare of a child in the first degree provides that a defendant knowingly acts in a manner which creates a substantial risk to the life or body of a child under the age of seventeen. The range punishment for a class A felony in the State of Missouri is imprisonment in the custody of the Missouri Department of Corrections for a term of years not less than ten (10) years and not to exceed thirty (30) years; or life imprisonment.
