Thompson found guilty of first-degree murder

Sep. 23—Stephen Thompson has been found guilty of first-degree murder and three other counts he was facing in the shotgun slaying six years ago of Carissa Gerard and the severe wounding of his estranged wife.

A Jasper County jury of seven women and five men deliberated about two hours Thursday before returning the verdicts that condemn Thompson, 60, to a mandatory term of life without parole.

Thompson went to the home on Joplin's west side where Gerard had moved in with Kristina Thompson following their breakup and shot the women with a 12-gauge shotgun as they scrambled out a bedroom and tried to get away from him across a backyard fence.

Defense attorneys tried to convince jurors that despite evidence of extensive planning on their client's part — that began at least as early as the previous night — there was reason to believe his actions were committed without any period of cool reflection as required by law for a first-degree murder and asked them to find him guilty of second-degree murder instead.

But Assistant Prosecutor Kimberly Fisher told the jury in her closing argument that a verdict of second-degree murder would ignore extensive evidence of deliberation on the defendant's part.

"He set out to kill them both and he nearly succeeded," Fisher said.

In addition to the murder conviction, the jury found Thompson guilty of first-degree domestic assault in the wounding of his wife and two counts of armed criminal action. Judge David Mouton has set the defendant's sentencing hearing on Oct. 29.

Jeff Lehr is a reporter for The Joplin Globe.