NEOSHO, Mo. —
The suspect in a burglary in Neosho remains in critical condition at a Joplin hospital after being stabbed in the eyeball with a steak knife by the man whose home he invaded, police said.
Officers were called about 3:30 p.m. Wednesday to an apartment in Neosho in reference to a possible stabbing.
Police Lt. David Kennedy said the man who had been stabbed was no longer at the apartment when officers arrived. But witnesses informed police that the suspect was stabbed by Jeffrey D. Heathman, 31, in self-defense when he broke into Heathman’s apartment and assaulted him.
Kennedy said the 28-year-old suspected intruder was located a short time later at Freeman Neosho Hospital, where he had gone seeking treatment for a single stab wound to his face. The man later was transferred to Freeman Hospital West in Joplin, where he remained in critical condition Thursday.
“From what we were told by doctors at Freeman Neosho Hospital, (the knife) actually went through his eyeball,” Kennedy said.
The suspect was alert enough to be interviewed in his hospital room Thursday, Kennedy said. The injured man’s name was being withheld while the burglary and stabbing are still under investigation, and charges remain pending, he said.
Kennedy said the interviews conducted by officers lead police to believe that the injured man forced his way into Heathman’s home with an intent to assault him. He said investigators believe that Heathman was acting in self-defense when he stabbed the intruder with the knife.
911 call
THE APARTMENT OCCUPANT placed the 911 call that brought emergency responders to the address, authorities said.
Top Stories
Neosho police: Resident stabbed intruder in eyeball in self-defense
- Top Stories
-
-
Medical examiner: 24 dead in Oklahoma twister
Emergency crews searched the broken remnants of an Oklahoma City suburb Tuesday for survivors of a massive tornado that flattened homes and demolished an elementary school.
-
Donations being accepted for Moore tornado survivors
Joplin residents and area nonprofit and relief organizations, remembering the devastation sustained two years ago in the Joplin tornado, are rallying today to send help to residents of Moore, Okla.
-
SLIDESHOW: Moore, Okla. rescue and recovery
Emergency crews searched the broken remnants of an Oklahoma City suburb Tuesday for survivors of a massive tornado that flattened homes and demolished an elementary school. At least 24 people were killed, including at least nine children, and those numbers were expected to climb.
-
Hearing slated for Joplin East Middle School teacher set for Thursday
An East Middle School teacher who was removed from his classroom last month following an investigation by district officials will go before the Board of Education this week.
-
Crowder College president to head to MSSU
Alan Marble, who announced Monday that he would retire as president of Crowder College in June, has been hired as special assistant to the president at Missouri Southern State University, MSSU officials announced Tuesday.
-
Catholic Charities puts out call for donations to fill two trucks for Oklahoma tornado survivors
Catholic Charities of Southern Missouri is requesting donations to fill two box trucks with needed supplies for the tornado-devastated region of Moore, Okla.
-
SLIDESHOW: Moore, Okla. tornado
A monstrous tornado at least a half-mile wide roared through the Oklahoma City suburbs Monday, flattening entire neighborhoods and destroying an elementary school with a direct blow as children and teachers huddled against winds up to 200 mph. At least 37 people were killed, and officials said the death toll was expected to rise.
-
Crews dig through the night after deadly Oklahoma tornado
Search-and-rescue crews worked through the night after a monstrous tornado barreled through the Oklahoma City suburbs, demolishing an elementary school and reducing homes to piles of splintered wood. At least 24 people were killed, including at least seven children, and those numbers were expected to climb.
-
Alan Marble, Crowder College president, to retire
After 27 years with Crowder College, President Alan Marble has announced his plans to retire on June 30, the formal end of the academic year. “It’s just the right time,” Marble, 58, said in a telephone interview Monday morning. “I’ve enjoyed, I think, every minute of these 27 years, but it’s time to move on to the next challenge.”
-
Storms cause damage throughout the Four States
Four-State Area residents hunkered down twice Monday to ride out tornadoes and powerful spring storms, then went to work cleaning up. The worst damage from Monday night’s storm was being reported in Ottawa County, Okla., near Wyandotte. That followed a report of an EF-1 tornado early Monday morning near Carthage.
- More Top Stories Headlines
-
Raw: Tearful Reunion After Okla. Tornado
OKC Hospital Describes Treating Tornado Wounded
Obama Pledges Urgent Aid for Tornado Victims
Raw: Aerials Show Path of Oklahoma Destruction
Raw: Widespread Destruction in Moore, Okla.
Raw: Massive Funnel Clouds in Oklahoma
Raw: Japan's WWII Atrocities Under Fire in Seoul
Voters Could Elect LA's First Female Mayor
Raw: Rescuers Pull Tornado Survivors to Safety
Oklahoma Gov: 'Hearts Are Broken' After Tornado
Raw: Walking in a Flattened Okla. Neighborhood
Raw: Rescue Workers Search Oklahoma School
Raw: Witness Describes Scene After Okla. Tornado
