88-year-old ‘tickled’ with killing of man who made him do chores, Missouri police say

An 88-year-old accused of killing a Missouri man said he was “tickled” with the death and considered shooting him again, according to police.

Larry Shaw told investigators he awoke Wednesday morning and followed his normal routine of eating breakfast and taking medications at his home in Ozark, a southwest Missouri city.

A while later, 52-year-old Kenneth Barnes called Shaw to say he just woke up and planned to finish Shaw’s laundry before he’d be coming upstairs. Shaw said Barnes then ordered him to do chores around the house, which angered Shaw, according to a probable cause statement.

Barnes is the owner of the house, Christian County property records show, but police did not say if Barnes and Shaw were related.

For the past six or seven years, Shaw told investigators, he had considered shooting Barnes but never followed through, the probable cause statement says. He accused Barnes of mistreating him and calling him names using vulgar language.

Shaw said he knew Barnes tucked a gun between the cushions of a recliner.

He retrieved the firearm and waited, the probable cause statement says.

Shaw waited three hours until Barnes walked upstairs and into the living room, where Shaw immediately fired a shot into his chest, the probable cause statement says.

When Barnes ran for help, Shaw said he continued sitting in his recliner until Barnes’ daughter ran outside. As his daughter performed CPR on Barnes, Shaw told investigators he considered going outside to shoot him in the head “to make sure he was dead,” the probable cause statement says.

An EMS employee told police that Shaw was holding a gun when he arrived and “made numerous spontaneous utterances while on scene...about shooting and killing” Barnes.

A police officer took Shaw to the police department for question. There, a detective asked whether Shaw was in fear for his life when he shot Barnes.

Shaw showed “no remorse,” police say.

“No, I wasn’t scared and was kind of tickled when I shot him,” Shaw replied, later saying “I hope I get the chance to piss on his grave,” according the probable cause statement.

Shaw was charged with first-degree murder and armed criminal action. He was being held in Christian County jail without bond.

This story was originally published May 20, 2021 at 7:45 PM with the headline "88-year-old ‘tickled’ with killing of man who made him do chores, Missouri police say."