BROWNSTOWN – Testimony began Tuesday morning in Jackson Circuit Court in the murder trial of Robert Walter Dean Fox, 29, of Norman. Fox is accused of the January 30, 2025, shooting death of his father, 76-year-old Larry D. Fox, following an alleged dispute over the family’s estate.
Deputy Prosecutor Mark Hollingsworth opened the state’s case by calling Jackson County officers Jordan Hawn, Kevin Settle, and Isaiah Thomas to the stand. The jury was shown body-worn camera footage from the night of the incident, documenting the initial police response to a barn in the 11000 block of West County Road 325 North.
According to court records, the investigation began when Robert Fox’s wife called 911 to report her husband had been shot. Robert initially told detectives he had called his father to the barn to investigate potential trespassers. He claimed that as they spoke, unknown gunmen opened fire from the woods, killing his father and striking Robert in the forearm.
However, investigators say the physical evidence tells a different story.
According to police red 12-gauge spent shotgun shells and 9 mm casings were found at the scene. An autopsy revealed Larry Fox was struck at high velocity by buckshot at close range—not from 30 feet away as Robert claimed.
A key witness told police that Robert Fox orchestrated the scene, asking the witness to shoot him in the arm to stage an “ambush” before ultimately shooting himself when the witness refused.
The witness also claimed he watched Fox stop his vehicle and shoot his own windshield with a shotgun to support his story of being fired upon while fleeing.
Detective Jesse Hutchinson testified that a clear motive emerged during the investigation. Larry Fox and his wife owned approximately 700 acres of real estate. Just weeks before the murder, Larry reportedly informed Robert that he intended to reduce Robert’s share of the inheritance, citing a lack of work ethic.
“It was finally over,” Robert Fox allegedly told a witness immediately after the shooting.
The prosecution introduced several critical items recovered during a search warrant authorized by Judge AmyMarie Travis:
A black Stevens model 230 pump-action 12-gauge shotgun, which had been gifted to Robert years ago was identified as the murder weapon.
A camera found shot at the barn contained an SD card with a final photo of a flashlight shining at the lens at 10:21 p.m. on Jan. 21—a time when Larry Fox was out of state, but Robert was allegedly at the barn.
Three phone calls were logged between the father and son just minutes before the fatal encounter, with the final call occurring at 8:44 p.m.
The trial is expected to continue throughout the week as the state calls further forensic experts and the defense begins its presentation.
