Joplin man accused of beating wife, trying to delete Ring doorbell footage

A Joplin man is accused of repeatedly beating and choking his wife during a violent domestic assault, then attempting to delete Ring doorbell footage that captured part of the attack.

Harley Don Mullins, 31, is charged in Jasper County with first-degree kidnapping and four counts of second-degree domestic assault. He is being held in the Jasper County Jail on a $500,000 surety bond or a $30,000 cash bond.

According to a probable cause statement, the alleged assaults occurred June 19 after Mullins and the victim argued throughout the day. The woman told investigators Mullins took her phone and car keys, preventing her from leaving the home.

She told deputies Mullins first pushed her against a vehicle and placed her in a chokehold. She said she "played dead" before he released her.

The victim said the confrontation continued at the front door, where Mullins stood between her and the entrance before grabbing her by the throat, slamming her to the ground and choking her until she could not breathe. She told investigators he pinned her beneath his body weight before forcing her back inside.

According to the probable cause statement, Mullins then made the woman shower and attempted to delete Ring doorbell footage of the assault.

Investigators said the victim later recovered the video and turned it over to the Jasper County Sheriff's Office, where deputies said it matched her account of the attack.

The victim claimed that later that night, Mullins allegedly body-slammed her onto a concrete floor, dislocating her knee. She said he then pressed on her neck until she lost consciousness.

After regaining consciousness, she ran outside seeking help, but Mullins caught her and forced her back inside.

She told deputies she feared for her life and believed Mullins "would go too far." She also said she could not leave because he had taken her phone and keys.

Investigators said the victim provided photographs of her injuries, including bruising and her dislocated knee, along with the recovered Ring video.