Man charged with harassment after threatening to shoot victim in face

A warrant with a $1,500 cash-only bond has been issued for Matthew L. Barton, born in 1983, of Monett, in connection with a case filed last week where Barton is charged with first-degree harassment, a class E felony. A class E felony can carry a prison sentence of up to four years. 

Barton has not yet been arrested on the warrant. 

According to the probable cause statement prepared by Ozark County Sheriff’s Deputy Seth Miller, a confidential witness called the sheriff’s office on Aug. 23 to report that, two days earlier, Barton had threatened to come to the witness’s home and “shoot [the witness] in the face.”

A recording was made of the call, and Miller said that, on Aug. 23 at the sheriff’s office, he was able to hear the recording and Barton’s statements. 

The witness also said that on Aug. 22, the day after the threatening call with Barton, a wallet belonging to one of the witness’s household members was found on H Highway near the family’s driveway. 

The witness said the wallet had been on the dash of the family’s truck that night. When the family checked the security camera footage from the night before, they found video of an individual with a flashlight in their driveway near the vehicle. 

The threats have caused stress and fear for the family, the report says. 

“[Witness has] been under extreme emotional distress and has lost sleep in fear of Matthew committing harm against [the] family.”

The witness said this type of behavior has been ongoing for more than a year, and reports have been made to the Ozark County Sheriff’s Department in the past. Miller said he searched the records and found at least one report matching the witness’s description.