Suspects blame one another for firing fatal gunshot

By Kyle Troutman ktroutman@cassville-democrat.com

Two Barry County residents are facing first-degree murder charges, among other felonies, with each blaming the other for the shooting death of Marvin Lance McCullough, whose body was found in the trunk of a burned vehicle at a towing facility in Shell Knob.

Brandy Coburn, 34, of Verona, and Jimmy Taylor, 46, of Exeter, are each charged with first-degree murder, armed criminal action, abandonment of a corpse and tampering with physical evidence. Both are being held in the Barry County jail on no bond.

According to two probable cause statements filed by Det. Billy Forester, with the Barry County Sheriff’s Office, on March 20, he responded to Schrader’s Towing in Shell Knob regarding a body found in the trunk of a burnt vehicle recovered a week prior from the scene of a fire on Farm Road 1170, less than three miles from Coburn’s residence.

On March 24, blood samples taken from the body during an autopsy were submitted to the Missouri State Highway Patrol’s RapidDNA system, which identified Marvin Lance McCullough, 55, of Aurora, as the victim.

On March 27, Forester interviewed a witness who said Coburn called her on March 22 and allegedly admitted to shooting McCullough in the head. A Sheriff’s Office press release said the incident occurred on March 11.

Forester said in a post-Miranda interview with Sheriff Danny Boyd, a second witness said he went to Coburn’s residence, a camper, where Coburn allegedly told the witness she shot McCullough. The witness said Coburn convinced him to help her get rid of McCullough’s body, and the witness said Taylor recommended putting McCullough in the trunk of his own vehicle and towing it to Shell Knob to dump in the lake before it was decided they would set the vehicle on fire.

The witness allegedly admitted he and Taylor put McCullough in the vehicle and towed it with a chain to a location at the bottom of a hill on Farm Road 1170. The witness said Coburn and Taylor were in McCullough’s vehicle while it was towed, and the witness said he observed Taylor allegedly set the vehicle on fire before all three individuals left the scene in the witness’ vehicle.

Forester said during a post-Miranda interview with Sheriff Danny Boyd, Taylor allegedly admitted he knew Coburn intended to lure McCullough to her residence to “set him up.” Taylor said he handed McCullough a flashlight to view items in the front area of the camper, and after diverting McCullough’s attention to the items, Coburn allegedly pointed a small silver gun with a pearl handle to McCullough’s head and fired one shot. Taylor allegedly admitted he was standing behind McCullough when the shooting occurred.

Coburn allegedly admitted McCullough was shot inside her camper while she was present, but said Taylor allegedly pulled the trigger, using her deceased grandmother’s silver handgun with a pearl handle.

Taylor said he and Coburn left McCullough dead inside the camper for three days, and he drove McCullough’s vehicle on numerous occasions while he was deceased in the camper.

Also on March 27, Forester executed a search warrant at Coburn’s camper and discovered what appeared to be blood on a lower portion of a sink cabinet toward the front of the camper. A rapid presumptive test allegedly indicated the presence of blood, and samples sent to the Highway Patrol were tested and confirmed to match McCullough.

Forester said Taylor allegedly made inconsistent statements throughout the investigation, and he allegedly admitted to factory resetting his phone in an attempt to delete information regarding the case.

Coburn and Taylor both have bond appearance hearings scheduled for April 24 at 10 a.m. in the courtroom of Judge Robert Foulke.