CENTERVIEW, Mo. — A teenager from the town of Centerview, about nine miles southwest of Warrensburg, Mo., has been arrested for the January murder of his father.
Johnson County, Mo. prosecutors say Jacob Hayes Feldman, 17, confessed to the murder of his father, Hayes Feldman, when they questioned him on Tuesday. They say he went to his dad’s house with a friend, found his father asleep in bed, and shot him three times while his father slept.
According to the probable cause statement, both the teens were carrying single shot .22 caliber rifles, and after Feldman shot him, police say the two teens stole cash and marijuana and left.
The Feldman family has several generations of relatives living in the Centerview area and Johnson County, Mo. Sheriff Charles Heiss says they neighbors are shocked at the younger Feldman’s admission.
“He just lined it out for us. Just lined out the incident,” Sheriff Heiss said. “It’s been hard on the family. They’re a close-knit family. It’s been difficult for them.”
Holly Ridge, a resident of Centerview, said that after the murder everyone in town locked their doors and felt afraid.
“Because we just would never have imagined it was somebody from our town,” Ridge said. “Everybody’s been so curious. Nobody believed it was Jake. We’re all praying for the family and hoped for a much better outcome.”
Some neighbors say the father and son had a turbulent relationship. Police, though, have not released a motive for the murder.
Prosecutors say Feldman’s friend, whom they are not identifying, confirmed his story. Feldman is now in the Johnson County Jail and his friend is in the Johnson County Juvenile Detention Center. Feldman is scheduled to appear in court for his preliminary hearing on May 2.
