MOUNT VERNON, Mo. -- A man from the Pierce City area is charged with first-degree murder and armed criminal action for a man's shooting death on Saturday. The Lawrence County prosecuting attorney charged Martin Meza, who also goes by Carlos Albert Gonzalez and Christian A. Olmeda-Gonzalez, on Monday morning and a judge issued a warrant for his arrest.
The sheriff's department said Monday that officers didn't know where Meza was. Depending on which name he uses, Meza might be either 27 years old (date of birth 5/28/84) or 28 years old (date of birth 12/14/84).
Deputies found the body of Able Ibarra, 45, of Purdy next to Lawrence 2200 just east of Highway PP, a rural area northeast of Pierce City, about 9 a.m. Sunday, several hours after a report of shots fired came from Meza's house a few miles away. An autopsy is scheduled but investigators said Ibarra was shot several times in the chest and at least once in the head.
Deputies found no one at Meza's home, 21950 Lawrence 1063, at the time they responded to the initial call about shots fired, but they discovered a large amount of blood at that scene.
