Mo. man charged with killing stepson as he slept

SPRINGFIELD (AP) - Police twice responded to calls from a Springfield home the day before one of the residents is accused of fatally shooting his sleeping 14-year-old stepson in the chest.

The Springfield News-Leader reported that 64-year-old William R. Jones was charged Friday with first-degree murder in Thursday's killing of Trevor Reynolds. Bond has been set at $250,000. No attorney is listed for Jones in online court record.

During the first police visit Wednesday, Jones was upset that Trevor had a friend over, according to a probable cause statement. The boy's mother, Falecha Jones, left with the youths, and Trevor returned later to apologize.

The boy's mother said William Jones later threatened to "kill" her son, and she had to persuade her husband to put down a handgun, according to the statement.

Police responded again and removed a handgun and a long gun from the home. The mother told police she didn't believe any other weapons were in the home, according to the statement.

The mother said she decided to put her son in a hotel for the night. There were no problems when the mother and Trevor returned home the following day, the statement said.

The mother fell asleep while watching TV but was awoken by a loud noise. The statement said the mother saw Jones holding a weapon in her son's room and blood on her son's shirt.

The mother said Jones then "walked out of the room, placed the gun down and sat smoking a cigarette in a chair."

Trevor was dead when police arrived, and Jones was arrested.