Guilty plea in accidental shooting

Blake Beckelman, of Battlefield, pled guilty at a court appearance on Oct. 30. He is scheduled to appear for his sentencing on Jan. 31 next year, with Judge Myers presiding.

Beckelman plead guilty to a Class C felony of first-degree involuntary manslaughter in a shooting in Rogersville that occurred last year and claimed a life.

According to a probable cause statement from the Greene County Sheriff's Office, the incident occurred in the late evening of Jul. 18, 2022. Deputies responded to a call at a residence in Rogersville. The caller, revealed to be Beckelman, said at first he heard a gunshot. Later, when he spoke to deputies, he stated he had shot someone by accident.

First Responders arrived and transported the victim, Laterrian Jarman, to Cox Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Deputies investigated the scene and spoke to a witness.

The witness told the deputies that the three of them were in the guest house, and Beckelman was asked if he wanted a shot of alcohol. He then pointed a gun in Jarman's direction and made a comment which the witness believed to be a joke. The gun went off, Beckelman dropped it, and the witness noticed Jarman immediately grabbed his neck and told Beckelman, "You got me good." Jarman walked forward a few steps and then collapsed to the ground.

Beckelman was taken into custody and interviewed about his side of the events. He explained that several friends came over to the guest house, and they all had drunk alcohol, with him admitting to having three shots of whiskey throughout the evening. He and two other friends had gone outside and shot three rounds. The gun then went into a "slide lock." believing the gun was empty, he took the gun back to his room. After the friends had left, it was only himself, Jarman, and the witness.

According to the witness, Jarman wanted to shoot a few more rounds, to which he explained there was no more ammunition and presented the gun. He then slid the lock off and pulled the trigger, attempting to show the gun was empty. The second time the trigger was pulled, the gun went off. Jarman immediately stood up and held his neck. Beckelman thought he was joking until he fell to the ground and started bleeding. After the interview, Beckelman was arrested.

After months of hearings, a jury trial was scheduled in December. However, on Sept. 7, he waived his right to the trial, then on Oct. 30, he ended a guilty plea and is set to appear in court on Jan. 31. for sentencing.

Beckelman's punishment ranges from three to ten years in the Missouri Department of Corrections, a fine up to $10,000, or a combination of a fine and jail time.