MEXICO, Mo. (AP) -- A man has pleaded guilty to a reduced charge in a fatal drug deal shooting that started when the victim was forced into a pickup truck at a Columbia motel.
KMIZ-TV reports that 37-year-old Richard Henry II, of Overland, pleaded guilty Monday to voluntary manslaughter in the killing of 30-year-old Leon Wilder III, of Columbia.
Witnesses told investigators that they saw Wilder being forced into a pickup truck in July 2017 after an argument about money. Wilder was near death when he was found along a road near the Boone-Audrain county line.
Investigators found blood in Henry's truck after spotting the vehicle on surveillance video. Two others pleaded guilty to drug trafficking in the case. Authorities said Henry was the triggerman. His sentencing is set for June 24.