O’FALLON, Mo. (AP) - The suspect in a fight along a highway that left a man dead turned himself in to authorities, the Missouri State Highway Patrol said.
Joshua O’Keefe, 39, of Troy, surrendered Wednesday at a patrol office in Weldon Springs, the patrol said.
O’Keefe was charged Tuesday with second-degree murder in the death of Ron Lawson, 68, of Winfield.
Lawson was found unconscious in his truck along Interstate 64 on Sunday and died later from his injuries.
Charging documents say O’Keefe and Lawson were both driving on Interstate 64 Sunday morning when they stopped on the shoulder. When the two men began walking toward each other, O’Keefe ran toward Lawson and hit him at least twice, according to the documents. He then put Lawson back in his truck and fled, KSDK reported.
Authorities say O’Keefe has a lengthy criminal record dating back 20 years, including a conviction for 2007 robbery for which he served prison time.
Online court records indicate O’Keefe does not yet have an attorney.
The patrol said O’Keefe’s wife, who was with him at the time of the fight, has been arrested on suspicion of hindering prosecution. Formal charges haven’t yet been filed, the St. Charles County prosecuting attorney’s office said Thursday.
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