Autopsy complete on body of man found dead in Newton County

The Newton County Sheriff’s office says an autopsy was completed today on the body of 51-year-old Ernest Darby.

He’s the man who was found dead of an apparent gunshot wound over the weekend.

The Sheriff’s office says the autopsy revealed a bullet in the body.

It will be sent to the Missouri State Highway Patrol Crime Lab for further testing to determine caliber and type of round.

According to the Sheriff’s office, the lack of powder burns or stippling located around the gunshot wound would indicate that the round was fired from some distance away from the victim.

Anyone with information on the crime is asked to contact the Sheriff’s Office at 417-451-8333.