PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- The second domestic murder-suicide in the region in three weeks left three dead, one in serious condition, and the entire community shaken in the wake of two of the most violent shootings in local history.

Both cases involved men who reacted to their wives leaving them. In both situations, the men involved saw their wives taking action to separate and responded by pulling a .38-caliber handgun, shooting their spouse and then taking their own lives.

Roger Prost, an alderman in Perryville, said the last homicide in the town occurred years ago, but in 2000, Perryville defied national trends with a total of five homicides that year.

Two were murder-suicides thought to be domestic in nature.

Perryville shooting

Diane Moore, 55, had been fighting with her husband, Jerry, 68, of Perryville, and the couple had temporarily seperated when Diane decided to return to their home to retrieve some of her belongings, Sheriff Gary Schaaff said Monday.

Thinking she might need help moving her things, she brought along her sister, Terry Stanfill, to the Port Perry Drive home she shared with her husband in the gated Lake Perry community, near Silver Lake, Mo.

The two woman arrived Sunday morning, and became embroiled in a confrontation with Jerry, Schaaff said.

One of the women told the other to call 911 or the police, but instead, they called Stanfill's husband, Dennis, 54, of Barnhardt, Mo., who arrived with Allen Kennon, 46, of Perryville.

Dennis Moore produced a revolver and began firing, shooting Dennis Stanfill and Kennon at the back door and then shot at Terry Stanfill but missed, grazing her hooded sweatshirt.

Dennis Stanfill was killed and Kennon remains in serious condition at St. Louis University Hospital.

Moore then saw, shot and killed his wife outside the house before taking his own life, Schaaff said.

Police said the gun used was either a .38-caliber revolver or a .357 loaded with .38-caliber bullets.

Jackson shooting

Fifteen days ago, Katherine Moshiri returned home to retrieve her 16-year-old son, Michael Jeffers, only to also become embroiled in a quarrel with her estranged husband.

Mir Shahin Moshiri began shooting a .38-caliber handgun at his wife after learning she planned on divorcing him.

He shot her four times, and she ran to get help. When police arrived at the Jackson residence minutes later, they found Mir Shahin had shot and killed Jeffers and 4-year-old Madison Moshiri before turning the gun on himself.

Meghan Moshiri, 2, was also shot and remains hospitalized in serious condition.

Katherine Moshiri had intended to take her children to a hotel for a few days to allow her husband time to calm down before returning to get her things, but she planned on bringing a police officer, she said.

A change of her son's afterschool plans caused her to double back for him.

Warning signs

Moshiri, 35, said she never saw her husband show a single sign that he was a violent person, but Tammy Gwaltney, director of the Southeast Missouri Network Against Sexual Violence, said there are often many red flags, but they are so subtle it can be impossible to recognize them.

"So often, this isn't the first sign of power and control a person has exhibited, but it's the ultimate one," Gwaltney said.

Warning signs can be as subtle as a husband urging his wife to stop visiting certain friends or criticizing her housework or cooking, she said.

Schaaf said domestic violence situations are among the most dangerous altercations law enforcement officials can walk into because of the highly charged emotions at stake.

In the case of a woman reutrning to get her things, though situations varied, he advised bringing a police officer along or asking a neutral third party to go instead, and said sometimes even delaying the packing until tempers cooled off was the best approach.

Not going into a potentially dangerous situation alone was the most crucial step a woman could take to protect herself, said Gwaltney, who also suggested asking a peace officer.

"My best advice is to bring law enforcement," said Lt. Rodney Barnes of the Jackson Police Department.

Any situation police entered could be volatile, but domestic violence calls were already highly charged sitatuions, he said.

The first step police usually take is to separate the involved parties, Barnes said.

bdicosmo@semissourian.com

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