Advance man accused of killing brother-in-law after domestic dispute

An Advance, Missouri, man faces 10 felony charges including first-degree murder in the death of his brother-in-law.

Melvin Anderson, 32, is accused of killing Tristan Davis, 27, during a domestic disturbance Friday at a residence on County Road 302 near Oran, Missouri.

In addition to first-degree murder, Stoddard County Prosecuting Attorney Russell Oliver charged Anderson with two counts of second-degree murder, first-degree kidnapping, unlawful use of a weapon/discharge of a firearm while intoxicated, tampering with physical evidence, second-degree domestic assault and three counts of armed criminal action,

Anderson was being held in the Stoddard County Jail under a no-bond warrant, Oliver said in a news release issued Tuesday.

According to a probable-cause statement filed Tuesday in Stoddard County Circuit Court, the sheriff's office received a 911 call about a shooting at 9:13 p.m.

Stoddard County Det. Garry Brady II wrote in the probable-cause statement that it was reported that Anderson was beating his wife Shyla Anderson when her brother sought to stop him, and was fatally shot.

According to the statement, Shyla said that she had recently told Melvin Anderson that she was leaving him. "For the next few days, Melvin pulled her around the house by her hair, threw her around and argued with her," Brady wrote.

"She begged and begged Melvin to let her leave. Melvin held his hands over her mouth and also used a shirt to cover her mouth as she was screaming that she wanted to leave and for him to stop," Brady wrote.

Melvin Anderson locked her in the house and left for about 10 minutes to smoke marijuana. Shyla Anderson phoned her mother in North Dakota asking her for help.

Melvin Anderson returned home and began "yelling and running through the house," according to the statement.

Davis arrived at the house and confronted Melvin Anderson, who "shot him just below the sternum," Brady wrote.

After his arrest, Anderson admitted to shooting Davis, but claimed he did not know who was coming through the door, according to the probable-cause statement. "At one point in the interview, Melvin claimed it was an accident," Brady wrote.

He admitted he was under the influence of marijuana and methamphetamine at the time of the shooting, according to the statement.

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