Joplin man found guilty of murdering woman, wounding estranged wife

(AP) A Joplin man was convicted Thursday of killing a woman and seriously injuring his estranged wife in a shooting six years ago.

Stephen Thompson, 60, was found guilty of first-degree murder and three other counts in the death of Carissa Gerard and the wounding of his wife, Kristina Thompson. Prosecutors said Thompson shot Gerard and his estranged wife at a home in west Joplin on June 10, 2015, as they tried to get away from him by climbing over a backyard fence. The shootings came after Kristina had apparently broke up with Stephen and moved into a home with Gerard. Defense attorneys argued that Thompson did not commit the shooting with the premeditation required for a first-degree murder conviction. They asked for a second-degree murder conviction.