NEWS

Homicide suspects jailed; family member speaks of victim

Sarah Okeson, and Stephen Herzog
News-Leader
Charles Cortez with his cousin Jen Peltier in a photo from last year.

Two people have been arrested and booked at the Greene County Jail on suspicion of second-degree murder in the death Monday of Charles J. Cortez.

Cortez, 21, of Springfield, was described by his cousin Jen Peltier as fun-loving "class clown" type of young man who was gregarious and "loved making people laugh." He had aspirations of joining the military but had poor eyesight, she said. He had recently had it corrected, but she wasn't sure of his plans before his death.

Cortez lived with her in South Carolina last year but returned to the Ozarks early this year, where he has family, Peltier said. She said she has communicated to some degree with his siblings since the shooting and said "everyone is equally shocked about what has happened."

Brian Jones/Devon Gallop

Brian S. Jones, 39, and Devon Gallop, 36, are currently at the Greene County Jail, jail records show, as police try to present a second-degree murder case to prosecutors. No formal charges have been filed.

Lebanon Sgt. Tim Early confirmed that Jones and Gallop were taken into custody in Lebanon in connection with the homicide investigation. He said Lebanon police plan to seek charges of felony fleeing against them.

Cortez was found in the the 1800 block of North Weller Avenue Monday night suffering from several gunshot wounds, according to police.

Springfield police spokeswoman Lisa Cox said police believe the shooting happened inside a vehicle and that Cortez was dumped in the street.

A woman, Shannon L. Gibson, 30, of Springfield, suffered injuries which police said are not life-threatening.

The death is the ninth homicide in Springfield so far this year.

Cousin Peltier said Cortez experienced the suicide of a close family member in February 2011. She said, "It was a horrible time for our family, and I cannot begin to imagine how horrible it was for him. ... He tried to pretend that he was going to be OK, but who could be, after that experience?"

"He bounced around for a little while after high school graduation, and lived with friends and various family members. He moved to Florida last fall to work construction with a guy he knew from Missouri, but ended up having a falling out with them and eventually made his way to me in South Carolina."

Jones served three years in prison in Missouri after violating probation in a felony case from Cass County for tampering with a motor vehicle, according to the Missouri Department of Corrections. He was paroled on Aug. 26, 2013 and discharged from parole on June 10.

Jones previously was in Missouri prisons in a 2003 Greene County case for tampering with a motor vehicle, resisting arrest and second-degree assault, according to the Department of Corrections. He also served time in a 1999 case from Greene County for possession of a controlled substance.

Early said Lebanon police located the pair after getting a tip.

Jones was found about 4 p.m. walking down Lincoln Street and Gallop was apprehended about midnight, Early said. The pair had earlier eluded police during a vehicle chase which ended when the vehicle, a gold Toyota Camry, crashed.