A Missouri woman is charged with multiple felonies after authorities say an 11-year-old girl was fatally shot inside a Moberly home while several children were left without adult supervision and firearms were accessible in what investigators described as filthy, hazardous conditions.
Randolph County prosecutors charged Jo Marie Timmons, 37, with five counts of endangering the welfare of a child in the first degree. One count is tied to the child’s death and carries a higher potential penalty, officials said, while the other counts focus on conditions and risks investigators say placed other children in danger. The case is also being examined as a failure of basic safety practices, with court records describing unsecured weapons, loose medication and trash throughout the residence.
Deputies were called to the home on Jan. 18 after a report of a child with a gunshot wound, according to court documents and local reporting. When law enforcement arrived, they found an 11-year-old girl who had been shot. She later died, authorities said. Investigators have not publicly released the child’s name, but officials have described the victim as a fifth-grade student in the Moberly School District. The district announced the death in a statement days after the shooting and said it was providing counseling support to students and staff.
According to a probable cause statement summarized in charging documents, the children inside the home told investigators that an unfamiliar vehicle pulled into the driveway while no adult was present. Several children said they hid in a bedroom. At some point, a gun was handled and a single shot was fired, authorities said. Investigators have described the shooting as accidental, but they said the surrounding circumstances raised broader concerns about supervision and access to firearms.
Timmons told investigators she had left children alone while she went to pick up her paycheck, according to court documents. She said she received a phone call that an unknown vehicle had arrived at the home, then later received another call in which a child told her someone had been shot. Investigators said children provided accounts that also mentioned the unknown vehicle and described trying to hide before the gun was fired. Court records have not publicly detailed who was inside the home at the time of the shooting beyond the age range investigators described.
In the hours after the shooting, deputies searched for the weapon used and spoke with children who were still at the home. One child helped deputies locate a Bersa .380 handgun in a dresser, according to the probable cause statement described in local reports. Investigators said the gun’s presence in a bedroom dresser, combined with the lack of adult supervision, became a central part of the charging decision. A child told investigators the safety was on, but the child did not realize a round was already chambered, according to the statement.
Authorities have been cautious about releasing details involving minors. Prosecutor Stephanie Luntsford told local media she would not say how many of the children were related to Timmons, describing instead that multiple children were living in the home. Investigators said at least five children between the ages of 7 and 12 were left alone that day. Court documents indicate children were later placed in another home, though officials have not provided further details about custody arrangements.
Beyond the shooting itself, investigators said the condition of the home suggested ongoing risks. Deputies documented what they described as deeply unsanitary living conditions, including strong odors and trash spread through living spaces. Court documents described dirty dishes and food remnants on surfaces and items that investigators considered hazardous to children, including loose pills. Investigators also cited used condoms among the items found in the residence, describing the environment as unsafe for minors.
During the search, investigators also reported finding a shotgun mounted to a wall in Timmons’ bedroom and crawling with cockroaches. Witnesses later told investigators the shotgun was not always kept secured, according to the charging document. Authorities have not said whether any child accessed that shotgun on the day of the fatal shooting, but prosecutors cited the weapon as part of the overall picture of firearms in the home and the alleged lack of consistent safekeeping.
Luntsford, the Randolph County prosecutor, said the charges were not about judging housekeeping choices, but about whether conditions had crossed into a level of danger for children. “All of us might have a different standard on what’s acceptable as how we should keep our house clean,” she said in comments reported by local media. She said prosecutors consider criminal charges when conditions appear so unsanitary or unsafe that they pose a risk to a child’s health or safety.
The legal case focuses on the concept of child endangerment rather than charging the shooting as an intentional act. First-degree endangering the welfare of a child in Missouri can involve knowingly acting in a way that creates a substantial risk to a child’s life, health or welfare. Prosecutors allege the risks in this case included leaving children without adult supervision and failing to keep firearms secure. Authorities have not said whether any other adult lived in the home or whether anyone else could face charges connected to the child’s death.
Charging documents described the event as a single gunshot that struck the 11-year-old. Investigators have not publicly released autopsy findings or medical details beyond acknowledging the child died from the injury. Officials also have not said whether the handgun was legally owned or how long it had been in the home. The accounts summarized in court records focus on where the gun was stored and who had access while adults were away.
The case has also raised questions about how children perceived danger from the unknown vehicle in the driveway. Court records indicate children said they hid after noticing the vehicle, then the gun was handled in the home. Authorities have not said whether the vehicle was connected to the family, whether the driver was identified, or whether the vehicle’s arrival played any role beyond causing fear among the children. Investigators have not said whether there was an attempted break-in or any crime by an outside person that day.
Local officials described the case as one of the most serious types of child endangerment because a child died. Prosecutors said one count tied to the death of a child carries a potential sentence of up to 30 years in prison, while the remaining counts can carry up to seven years each. Timmons was arrested and held in the Randolph County Jail, according to jail and court records referenced in local coverage. Authorities have not publicly detailed whether she has hired an attorney or what her initial court date schedule will be.
In Moberly, a city north of Columbia, the child’s death rippled through schools and neighborhoods, with administrators acknowledging the loss of a student and urging compassion while investigators worked the criminal case. The school district said it was providing support services, and local reports described counselors being available for students who needed help processing the sudden death of a classmate. Officials have not announced public memorial details tied to the case, and the family’s wishes have not been described in public statements.
As prosecutors move forward, the case is expected to hinge on what investigators can prove about supervision, access to firearms and the conditions inside the home. Court records referenced by local outlets suggest investigators will rely on photographs, witness statements and the documented locations of weapons and other hazards. The prosecution will also likely focus on Timmons’ statements about leaving the children alone and what she says she was told by phone before and after the shooting.
Timmons remains in custody as the case proceeds, and investigators have not indicated the criminal inquiry is finished. Officials have said they are continuing to review evidence collected from the residence and to interview witnesses as needed. The next major update is expected through court filings and hearings as prosecutors outline the alleged endangerment and the defense responds to the felony counts.
Author note: Last updated February 21, 2026.