(Moberly Monitor) – According to the Moberly Monitor-Index, a Moberly man is in custody and facing seven felony charges, including murder, according to online court records.
Joseph Lee Kertz, 28, of Wight Avenue in Moberly, was arrested Friday in connection with an alleged homicide in Moberly Thursday, confirmed Randolph County Prosecuting Attorney Mike Fusselman.
Fusselman said Kertz was already in custody and was formally charged Friday morning with the murder of Kevin Glenn McCuiston, 39, of Boonville.
McCuiston was identified in a city of Moberly news release Friday afternoon.
Kertz is facing charges of first-degree murder, first-degree robbery, armed criminal action, second-degree arson, unlawful possession of a firearm, tampering with physical evidence in a felony prosecution and promoting prostitution, according to online court records.
Kertz’s bond was set at $500,000 cash only by Randolph County Circuit Judge Cynthia Suter.
A lawyer for Kertz was not yet named in online court records as of Friday afternoon.
The victim’s body was reportedly discovered with a gunshot wound after the Moberly Fire Department put out a small fire in a Moberly residence at 1505 Calhoun Street, where law enforcement had already responded to a report of shots fired.
The incident took place around 7 a.m. Thursday. Police have not yet released a possible motive for the crime, and it was unclear whether authorities were planning to make any further arrests.
Officials have been in touch with the McCuiston’s family, Fusselman said.
Moberly officials canceled a press conference for Friday morning but said they would release more information via press release Friday afternoon. Moberly Public Relations Manager Tristan Asbury indicated via email that no additional questions about the case would be answered at this time.
