Nov 15
Story from KOAM-TV
New developments in Joplin's most recent murder of 2008. On Friday a Jasper County judge set a trial date for Dustin Fanning, 29. Fanning was bound over for trial on a charge of second degree murder.
He is accused in the death of his father, Harold Fanning, 78, who was found dead in his Joplin home August 5.
Autopsy results show Harold Fanning died of blunt force trauma to the head.
Dustin Fanning has plead not guilty. His trial is set for May 2009.
A Joplin man accused of killing his father in the city's second homicide of 2008 says he's not guilty.
Even after police say he admitted to hitting his father, Dustin Fanning, 29, says he is not guilty of murder.
He is charged with second degree murder and on Thursday he pleaded not guilty by video arraignment.
Fanning is accused in the death of Harold Fanning, 78, who was found dead in his Joplin home August 5.
Autopsy results show he died of blunt force trauma to the head.
Harold Fanning, 78, was found dead in his home in Joplin on Tuesday and officials say the autopsy showed he died of blunt force trauma to the head, likely two blows with fists.
The victim's son, Dustin Fanning, 29, is charged with second degree murder. Police say Dustin admitted to striking his father twice.
Police are still trying to determine a motive for the killing.
An elderly Joplin man is dead and the prime suspect in the case is his son.
This is the second murder in Joplin this year, and like the first, police believe it was domestic. They've arrested Dustin Fanning, 29, for the murder of his father.
The arrest came about two hours after Harold Fanning, 78, was found dead in his own home on west 20th Street, apparently from blunt trauma to the head.
The son was arrested two-and-a-half miles south of the scene on a scooter. Authorities say he was unarmed and probably was not a danger to the general public.
"This was a family type situation, and of course you know when someone is under that kind of stress, having commited a crime like that, you don't know what they are going to do, but there was probably never any danger to the public," says Cpl. Chuck Niess.
An autopsy is scheduled for Wednesday morning and that will determine if Harold Fanning did in fact die of the blunt force trama, and it will determine how long he was there before he was discovered.
Joplin police make an arrest after investigating the suspicious death of a 78 year old man.
The homicide investigation leads to the arrest of the victim's son.
Dustin Fanning, 29, is awaiting charges for the death of his father, Harold Fanning.
Police say a family member found the body of the 78-year-old man at his home on West 20th Street.
Authorities say the victim appeared to have a been hit in the head.
An autopsy is scheduled for Wednesday.