By: Darrell Todd Maurina
Posted: Thursday, July 14, 2011 5:35 am
Emergency personnel from multiple agencies gather outside the home of a Dixon woman where a murder-suicide happened Wednesday evening.
DIXON, Mo. (July 14, 2011) — Police say the deaths of two people Wednesday evening outside the home of a Dixon woman were due to a murder-suicide involving her live-in boyfriend and estranged husband.
The shootings happened outside the home of Erin Davis, the granddaughter of former Dixon mayor Quentin Davis who was recently elected to the city council as an alderman. According to City Marshal Cliffty Yoakum, Erin Davis was living with Theron Parlin, 32, a construction contractor from Colorado Springs, Colo., who was working with a team of people from that state on a construction project at Fort Leonard Wood. Erin Davis’ estranged husband, Gary Wayne Ball, 30, a Dixon resident, came to the home about 6:30 p.m., and when Parlin came out, Ball shot him 17 times before going back into his car, reloading his 9mm pistol, and firing a final shot into his own chin that caused his death.
The shooting in a residential neighborhood in front of numerous neighbors shocked the small town. Yoakum said he didn’t know Parlin but he personally knew the others involved, and when he first became a Dixon policeman decades ago, Quentin Davis was the city’s mayor.
“That’s one of the worst parts of serious crime that you know what is involved,” Yoakum said. “I’ve been here 23 years this month and this was the third murder that was ever inside the city limits, but that’s still three too many.”
State troopers and county deputies joined Dixon police and firefighters at the scene, but Yoakum said the investigation is now done and no charges are expected since both people involved are dead.
“It’s pretty much cut and dried, there are so many witnesses to it that there’s not much investigation to do,” Yoakum said. “I know for sure is this is an isolated incident. I would call it a crime of passion and no one else was in danger. This all happened without stray bullets flying anywhere. It is a tragedy in our community; I hate it for the mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, they are the ones who suffer in a time like this.”
Ball came to the house, located near the Casey’s gas station on Fourth Street near the intersection of Highway C and Highway 28, prepared for the incident. Yoakum said his pistol was loaded with a clip of 17 rounds, all of which he used to shoot Parlin; he reloaded with a second 17-round clip in the car and the single bullet from that clip killed him. He also had a third clip of 10 rounds in his pocket.
At least five adults including Erin Davis saw the incident happen, but none were injured and Yoakum said he didn’t believe Ball intended to shoot anyone else.
“It’s a bad deal anywhere, not just in a small community; I’m just very thankful that no one else was hurt,” Yoakum said.
Both bodies were transported to Long Funeral Home in Dixon after county coroner Mikel Hartness pronounced Bell and Parlin dead. Dixon Ambulance District personnel responded and attempts were made to have Lifeline helicopter ambulance respond, but weather conditions outside the area prevented the helicopter from reaching Dixon.
Yoakum said there had been a few calls to the home but none involved Parlin.
“It’s not what we would call a problem house,” Yoakum said. “In the past the estranged husband was involved, but the man from Colorado was not involved in any way. This is the first time I have seen this fellow.”
In addition to Erin Davis, Ball’s survivors include his two children with Davis. Parlin had family members in Colorado; next-of-kin have been notified.
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