Halverson Guilty Of Attempted Murder

A 43-year-old McDonald County woman was found guilty March 17 of attempted murder in the second degree and armed criminal action following a bench trial before the Circuit Judge Calvin Holden, a circuit judge from Greene County. The one-day trial was held in Newton County after a change of venue.

McDonald County Prosecuting Attorney Bill Dobbs said Patricia M. Halverson shot her husband, Al "Doc" Halverson, at their residence on New Bethel Road on the afternoon of Dec. 1, 2015.

Doc Halverson suffered a gunshot wound to the right temporal region of his head, with the bullet traveling through the upper palate and lodging in the lower left jaw.

Investigators from both the McDonald County and Newton County sheriff's offices interviewed Patricia Halverson multiple times during the investigation. Throughout the investigation, Patricia Halverson maintained that she did not shoot her husband, but consistently stated that she and the victim were the only persons present at the residence at the time of the shooting.

A gun-shot resident test was not performed on Doc Halverson's hands, Dobbs said, because the defendant told first responders that she had washed his hands before their arrival.

At trial, investigators reconstructed the events at the time of the shooting. According to testimony, Doc Halverson, who served as a deputy sheriff, had come home at the end of his shift, walked his dog, talked with his wife and settled into his chair to take a nap. Deputy Halverson testified that he was wakened by "an explosion in (his) mouth" and realized he was bleeding from his nose and mouth. At that time Patricia Halverson called 911 and rendered aid by bringing the victim towels with which he covered his face.

Paramedics Shelby Turner and Donnie LeMasters testified that the victim was conscious and responsive at the scene, and was asked if he had "done this to himself," to which Deputy Halverson responded "No."

During trial, Patricia Halverson was asked by her attorney "...did you shoot Doc Halverson?" Patricia Halverson responded, "Yes, I did." Patricia Halverson claimed that she had not been able to remember what had occurred for over a week after the shooting, but that she realized that the injuries to her husband was caused by an "accidental discharge" of a 9 mm handgun when she was going outside to shoot an armadillo in the yard. The semiautomatic pistol was a weapon kept in a dresser in the house. It was not his duty weapon, according to Dobbs.

Judge Holden determined that claim to be unbelievable and found her guilty of the charge. This was not a jury trial, which was an election made by the defendant.

Patricia Halverson will be sentenced on May 15.

Attempted murder in the second degree is a class B felony, punishable by a minimum of five years and a maximum of 15 years in the Missouri Department of Correction. Armed criminal action is an unclassified felony punishable by a minimum of 3 years and an unlimited range to be determined by the court. Any time received for armed criminal action is to be served day-for-day, and prior to the time beginning on the underlying felony.

Since the shooting the Halversons have divorced. Patricia Halverson had no prior convictions for violence.

General News on 03/30/2017