Murder charges dropped in Barry County cold case
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A setback in a nearly 27-year-old murder investigation in Barry County, Missouri.
First-degree murder charges have been dropped against three brothers accused of killing 14-year-old Justin Hocutt in 1999.
Mark Scott, David Scott, and Bobby Scott were arrested in July following a renewed investigation into Hocutt's death.
The Barry County Sheriff's Office says the charges were dismissed after a witness failed to testify.
The Missouri Attorney General's Office was involved in the dismissal and says the investigation remains ongoing.
Hocutt disappeared in October 1999. His body was discovered on railroad tracks near his home in Seligman.
Investigators previously alleged the teenager was assaulted at a nearby residence before being placed on the tracks, where he was struck by a train.
The case remained unsolved for more than two decades before investigators reopened it earlier this year, leading to the arrests of the three brothers.
