A Missouri man, David Alan Stewart, 40, has been arrested and charged with murder after police initially believed another man, Jerry McLay, 48, had died by suicide.
Investigators later determined McLay’s death was actually a homicide... Continue reading here ▶
In November 2024, police found McLay dead at his home from a gunshot wound to the head.
At first, they suspected suicide, but doubts arose because no gun or bullet casing was found at the scene.
Surveillance footage near McLay’s home revealed key evidence. The video showed McLay leaving his house in a red truck and returning shortly after, followed by a gold SUV. The SUV left and returned 20 minutes later.
The footage captured a man resembling Stewart driving the SUV with a window down. Moments later, a sound resembling a gunshot was recorded, and the SUV was seen leaving the area for good.
Further evidence came from text messages exchanged between McLay and Stewart on the day of the incident.
Stewart texted McLay saying he would return after forgetting money, to which McLay replied, “Ok.”
In the following months, Stewart allegedly sold several stolen guns, some linked to thefts in Nevada and Arizona. This activity led authorities to search his home in January, where they found additional evidence. During an interview, Stewart admitted he had been at McLay’s house that day to buy drugs.
Stewart was arrested and charged with McLay’s murder. The sheriff commended investigators for their persistence in treating every death as a potential homicide until evidence proves otherwise. Stewart is now being held on $1 million bail.
