Man fires shots at another, meth and guns found

Matthew Trent, 46, and Nancy Blackburn, 64, both of Tecumseh, have been charged in a case involving a March 15 incident in which Trent allegedly shot at a man over reported stolen canoes, and a resulting search warrant turned up methamphetamine and illegal firearms. 

According to the probable cause statement prepared by Ozark County Sheriff’s Deputy Josh Sherman, at approximately 6 p.m. March 15 a man called the OCSD dispatch line and reported that he had located canoes that were his. He said the boats were in the possession of Matthew Trent. 

The man told the officers that he was at Trent’s home in Tecumseh and he believed Trent was going to shoot him. 

While the man was on the phone with the OCSD, a dispatcher could hear shots being fired, and the man told the dispatcher that Trent was shooting at him. The victim, who said he’d gotten permission to be on the property to hunt morel mushrooms in the past, ran into the woods and continued to talk with the dispatcher on the phone. 

Deputies were dispatched and arrived at the home shortly afterward where there made contact with the victim. He told them Trent fled from the scene and into another residence. The man said that he saw Trent raise a smaller-type handgun up and point it at him. The man said he then heard shots “whizzing” past him. He said he ran into the woods for safety, and officers arrived shortly after. 

A .380 pistol was located under a rock, outside, concealed near the back of the house under brush and leaves at the residence. Spent .380 rounds were also found nearby toward the end of Trent’s driveway, the report says.

Officers showed the man a driver’s license photo of Trent, and he confirmed that was who had shot at him. 

A search warrant of Trent’s home on County Road 317 turned up these items that field-tested positive for methamphetamine, the report says: black box, glass smoking device, silver cylinder container. What was also found was a rifle lower, magazine for 9mm, two 9mm rounds for a .380 firearm, Springfield Armory magazine empty 9mm for 45 ACP firearm, brass knuckles and Ruger LCP pistol. There were also spent rounds from .380 firearm found at Trent’s residence. At Blackburn’s residence, located on County Road 319, officers reportedly found a white glass plate with a debit card laying on it with a white crystalline substance that field-tested positive for meth in the bedroom. They also found a Hi Point 380 ACP with a magazine with four rounds (three in the magazine and one chambered), located outside under rocks, leaves and brush. 

Trent is charged with the felonies of assault, armed criminal action, unlawful possession of a firearm, possession of methamphetamine and unlawful possession of a weapon (possessing a weapon and felony-level controlled substance at the same time). He was arrested March 17 in the case and released on his own recognizance on March 21. Blackburn is charged with possession of a controlled substance and unlawful use of a weapon (possessing a weapon and a felony-level controlled substance at the same time). She was arrested March 17 and released on her own recognizance later that day. 

They are both scheduled to reappear in Ozark County Court at 9 a.m. April 15, before Associate Judge Raymond Gross.