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 Law enforcement officials prepare to place the body of Phillip Jarvas into a vehicle to remove it from the crime scene Sunday at 1008 East Fifth St. at Kennett. [Click to enlarge] |
When officers arrived they indeed found a man who was lying between the caller's car and the inner wall of the carport
Police Chief Barry Tate said officers concluded the man had apparently died from a stab wound to the upper chest.
 Max Arnold |
Tate said the people who live at the residence where the man was found had no idea who he was or where he was from, but that they knew the man was not there around 2:30 a.m. that morning when some friends had left the house.
"The deceased had identification on him so we were able to determine his name, age and city of residency," Tate said.
 Shelon Skelton |
Officers immediately began conducting a neighborhood canvas and discovered several witnesses. One witness indicated to police that he had observed Jarvas arguing with another man, now identified as Max Arnold, 26, of Caruthersville, Mo., at 1004 East Fifth St., earlier that night.
The witness advised officers that Jarvas had been harassing people at that residence and began picking fights.
The police report indicates that Jarvas initiated a fight with Arnold, who was at the residence. The witness said Arnold came outside and began fighting with Jarvas.
Confirming the officer's suspicion of blunt force trauma to the head, the witness said Arnold struck Jarvas over the head with a beer bottle.
The witness told police that approximately 10 minutes later Jarvas came back to the residence of 1004 East Fifth, this time with a four way lug wrench. According to the witness, Jarvas struck Arnold with the wrench, at which point, Arnold took out a pocket knife and stabbed Jarvas in the chest.
According to the police report, Arnold and his girlfriend, Shelon Skelton, 30, of Gobler, Mo., formerly of Senath, had left the area. Both Arnold and Skelton were located at Senath, Mo., where officers transported the pair back to Kennett.
According to the report, after interrogation, Arnold told police that he remembered pulling out a knife during his second fight with Jarvas.
Arnold and Skelton were transported to the Dunklin County Jail at Kennett. Arnold is being held without bond on charges of 2nd Degree Murder, Armed Criminal Action and Skelton is being charged with Tampering with Physical Evidence.
The Kennett Police were assisted by the Dunklin County Sheriff's Department, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Dunklin County Major Case Squad and the Bootheel Drug Task Force.
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First off, I'm Phillip's little brother. I'm 31 years of age, and he was only 32 at the time he was brutally murdered. He and I were always very close. We shared a very tight bond. Though now the link has been broken, only to one day in heaven above be joined together again. Till then I will remain devistated and heartbroken. On another note, I feel I should let the public know that the only poeple interviewed at the time of the story are the suspects friends that were there when the murder took place. My brother was totally misrepresented. Obviously it wasn't self-defense on the suspects part. If it were, in having nothing to hide, he, or one of the witnesses there would have caled 911, and possibly saved my brothers life. Instead, they left him to die, only to be found nine hours later. In those nine hours, they attempted to destroy evidence, hid the later discovered murder weapon, and cooked up a discustingly false story. A story that has been crumbling to the ground since. Due to repeated interviews by police investigators. Interviews that only had to be repeated numerous times due to noboby there being able to tell the same story twice, or a story matching another witness. Hardly sounds like self-defense to me. In my opinion everyone there is equally guilty for failing to do what was right, and make a life-saving call to 911. Max Arnold not only took the life of my brother. He also devistated an entire family for the rest of there lives. I cannot even put into words the pain I feel on a daily basis now. My heart aches from the moment I wake, till I fall asleep every night now. I assure you I am speaking factually, and I ask that you please see through the comments of the killers friends on this page.
Read the story folks. Nobody is saying Skelton did anything other than tamper with physical evidence, whatever that means. The prosecutors are using this charge to get her to testify against Arnold. It's that simple.
I think people should not make judgements against anyone. No one is perfect. People are going to stand behind their loved ones which they should do no matter what. It is sad that someone had to die but you have to think what would you do in that situation. No one knows what happened except who was there. If you want to find out about someone and how they really are just look up their past. You can tell alot about a person when you find out that they have been in prison and stuff like that. I looked up both the guys. Neither one of them is an angel. The reason they only took those 2 to jail is someone has to blame somebody. You know I have to admit if anyone was hitting me with something that could have killed me I would defend myself.You never know what you would do unless your in that position. So quit putting judgement on Max and Shelon. You don't know them so you have no right. I can say Max has never been in prison. Of course your going to think your brother wasnt doing anything wrong and that's fine but you don't know, you wasn't there so quit assuming that you know what happened. If he had a fiance in sullivan then what was he doing with someone else and not with her.
Look for one --- noone really knows the truth about the situation except the ones that was there. I know one thing they need to investigate EVERYONE that was there not just Max and Shelon. The only question that I have is why did they take Max and Shelon to the police department to question them and not the rest of them that was there? I think they should have took EVERYONE that was at the party down and question them just like they did these two. What kind of system do we have that does not question all of them instead of just a couple.....
In an answer to Phillips sister..I am Connie Robinson's mom and would like to add that maybe YOU are jumpin to a few conclusions yourself...First of all..I talked with Phillip on the phone when I called Connie a few days b4 this happened..your right..he seemed to be a very nice man...and very much in love with my daughter and yes..they WERE engaged...I stand behind my daughter just as you would Phillip...because we love them...but doesnt mean I would lie for her...she loved Phillip deeply as I believed he loved her..I know this is very hard on your family right now as it tears our family apart that such a tragedy could happen between good friends who started out just partying...My prayers are with your family and my heart goes out to you..but please dont judge people you dont know or say things your not sure of.... Connie loved Phillip and he loved her..that much I do know..
i am the victim phillip jarvis sister.i want everyopne in the kennett area that connie robinson who keeps getting on your news claiming to be his fiance is absolutely not his fiance,amy ramori of sullivan is.connie has also been on the news saying she just wants to know the truth,she does know the truth.the day it happened after my brother was already killed and we didnt know it yet she was calling my other brother lying saying phillip left and she hadnt seen him since 5am and continued to call 3 more times lying .why havent the kennet police taken my brothers statement about connie robunson trying to cover it up?i want the world to know what a big heart phillip had and how loved he was.my family is devastated and our hearts will be forever broken.he may have been at a party drinking but how many of us havent at some point?they are saying my brother was outside piaking a fight,well max arnold didnt have to come out and fight.i hate to even remember this but my brother had a cut on the right side of his head obviously from the beer bottle.also an actual large dent on the other side of his head i believe my brother was the one hit with the lugwrench and ran 3 houses down and stabbed.our loved ones character is being misrepresented.he was a very loving,giving,and funny person.i would like to ad that my brother was never the type to use a weapon.we will never be the same.our family and churchwants justice
I think you should find out the whole story before you start judging anyone. Put yourself in that position, what would you do. If someone is beating you with a four way what the crap would you do. So dont judge until you know what its like to be done like that.
man, you think you know someone. My siblings went to school with the Skelton lady! Not in the same grade, but around the same age. That is truly sad. She could of made wiser decisions and made something of herself. Now she finds life off beat for sure.