A Missouri man was sentenced to 20 years in prison last week after pleading guilty to killing his father, a case that has left a small town south of Kansas City confronting a sudden family tragedy. The plea, entered in a county courtroom, ended the criminal prosecution but raised questions about how the shooting unfolded at the family home.
Carter Joshua Curtis, 20, admitted guilt to a single count of second-degree murder in the death of 41-year-old John McMurphy, court records show. Following the plea, 27th Judicial Circuit Judge M. Brandon Baker imposed a 20-year term, with credit for 613 days already spent in pretrial detention.
The shooting occurred on the night of Sept. 28, 2024, at a residence on 8th Street in Adrian, a town roughly 55 miles south of Kansas City. Police say Curtis called 911 at about 11:23 p.m. to report the shooting; officers arrived within minutes.
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An arrest report filed by the Adrian Police Department describes chaotic scenes outside the house and a child present at the scene. Inside, officers found the victim dead on the kitchen floor with a gunshot wound to the head.
The firearm recovered was identified as a Mossberg Patriot .308 bolt-action rifle. Investigators noted a spent shell still in the chamber and an empty magazine when the weapon was collected.
Minutes after officers began their investigation, law enforcement located and arrested Curtis roughly one block from the home, the report says.
The victim’s wife told police she was awakened by a gunshot. She said she encountered Curtis in the hallway holding the rifle; he handed the gun to her and walked away, telling her he had already called 911 and, according to the statement, “I had to do it.” After going downstairs, she found her husband face down near the dining table.
- Defendant: Carter Joshua Curtis, 20
- Victim: John McMurphy, 41
- Charge pleaded to: Second-degree murder
- Sentence: 20 years in prison (613 days credit for pretrial time)
- Location: 8th Street, Adrian, Missouri
- Weapon: Mossberg Patriot .308 bolt-action rifle
- Original charges: First-degree murder and armed criminal action (first-degree reduced; armed charge dismissed under plea)
Under the terms of the plea agreement, prosecutors reduced the original first-degree murder charge and dismissed an armed criminal action count. The record does not detail the factors that led to the reduced charge, but the plea removed the case from a trial calendar and produced an immediate prison term.
Local officials have not released further public comment on motive or any ongoing civil matters. With the criminal case concluded through the plea and sentencing, the focus for the family and the Adrian community now turns to healing after a violent loss.
