Prosecutor says no charges coming in February homicide in Springfield

The Greene County Prosecutor's Office said this week it will not be pursuing criminal charges in connection with a fatal shooting from February.

In a letter to Springfield police last week, Greene County Chief Assistant Prosecutor Todd Myers said Dan Rich, 39, was reasonably acting in self-defense when he shot and killed Corey Kesner, 31, on Feb. 5 in the parking lot of Remington's Corner shopping center in southwest Springfield.

"When an individual raises a self-defense claim, the State has the burden of proving beyond a reasonable doubt that the homicide is not justified," Myers wrote. "In this case, the State cannot prove that Mr. Rich did not reasonably act in lawful self-defense."

Myers said the investigation showed that Kesner was armed with a screwdriver when Rich shot him.

Myers said Rich made statements indicating that he shot Kesner in self-defense.

Myers said Missouri's new "stand your ground law" did not have any bearing on this case.

In the days after Kesner was killed, the Springfield Police Department said officers contacted the suspected shooter at the scene, and that person was questioned but not arrested.

Kesner's killing was one of three Springfield homicides in January and February in which police said they contacted the suspected shooter at the scene, but charges were not immediately filed. Prosecutors have not yet made determinations on whether charges will be filed in the other two cases.

Kesner's obituary says he was a graduate of Blue Eye High School and the Tulsa Welding School. He had a son.