Nearly seven months after the brutal shooting deaths of longtime Niangua residents Ed and Pam Thurman, their daughter, Neisha Rogers, has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Associate Circuit Judge Cynthia Black finalized sentencing Monday, June 30. Rogers, 49, pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of armed criminal action. She was sentenced to life without parole for each murder charge, and 15 years for each armed criminal action charge, to be served consecutively.
The guilty plea was entered as part of an agreement with prosecutors in which the state agreed not to seek the death penalty. The plea deal also allowed Rogers to avoid prosecution for past child sex crimes, which authorities confirmed were under investigation at the time of her arrest.
The case stems from a December 2024 shooting that rocked the quiet rural community of Niangua. According to the Webster County Sheriff’s Office, deputies were called to the Thurmans’ residence north of Niangua around 7:40 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 3, after receiving reports of two people with gunshot wounds. Pamra “Pam” Thurman and her husband Alva “Ed” Thurman were found deceased outside their home on Bowen Creek Road.
Investigators quickly identified Rogers as the suspect. According to the probable cause statement, she had gone to the Thurmans’ home to see her son but was denied access. Authorities believe an argument over the child—who had been in the Thurmans’ care due to Rogers’ ongoing struggles with alcohol—led her to shoot both of her parents before fleeing.
Sheriff Roye Cole said the department moved quickly. Security camera footage from the Thurmans’ property identified the suspect’s vehicle, and deputies located Rogers at her home on Tower Road. After a standoff during which Rogers emerged on her porch armed with two firearms, officers subdued her and took her into custody without further incident.
In her confession to investigators, Rogers claimed she had been insulted by her mother and called her a “narcissist,” stating those comments contributed to her decision to carry out the killings. She also admitted to planning to take her own life afterward.
In addition to the murder charges, Rogers faced unrelated legal issues at the time, including unpaid child support owed to the Thurmans and a pending charge for aggravated DWI filed in September 2024.
The sentencing brings a degree of closure to a case that devastated the Niangua community and beyond. Ed Thurman was a retired Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper and pilot, respected throughout Troop D and across the state. Sheriff Cole described him as "genuine, patient, and incredibly well-liked."
“He was one of those people you just never heard anything bad about. Losing him in this way was beyond devastating,” said Cole.
Pam Thurman, affectionately known as "Granny Pam," was a retired registered nurse who spent decades in emergency care. Her compassion extended to both people and animals. After retirement, she devoted her time to caring for animals on the family farm and remained an active and generous presence in the community.
Neighbors described the couple as pillars of strength and kindness, always willing to lend a hand or share a kind word.
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here