COLUMBUS — A Missouri man made his first court appearance this week on charges alleging he murdered two men and attempted to murder a third.
Kyle L. Butts, 41, of Independence, Missouri, made his first appearance on Wednesday in Cherokee County District Court in Columbus.
He’s charged with two counts of first-degree murder, both off-grid felonies, one count of attempted first-degree murder, a level one felony, and interference with a law officer, a low-level felony.
The murder charges could result in a life sentence with no parole eligibility until he’s served 50 years. The attempted murder charge could result in a minimum of 12 years in prison, depending on Butts’ criminal history.
Baxter Springs police responded at 2:40 p.m. Monday to the 2400 block of Lincoln on the report of gunshots in a residence. The reporting party told a dispatcher that three people had been shot inside.
Officers arrived and began life-saving measures on the three people who had been shot. A description of Butts was immediately put out to responding officers.
As officers were responding, they saw Butts walking in the area and arrested him after a brief struggle.
Two of the victims, Jeremy Murphy, 47, of Anderson, Missouri, and Craig Guinn, 59, of Pineville, Missouri, were found dead in the home.
The third, Seth Guinn, 27, of Pineville, Missouri, was taken by Cherokee County ambulance to Freeman Hospital in Joplin, Missouri, with life-threatening injuries.
This shooting is being investigated by the Baxter Springs Police Department, Cherokee County Sheriff's Office and the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.
Butts will return to court on Dec. 14. He’s being held without bond in the Cherokee County Jail in Columbus.
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