A 41-year-old Columbia man is facing felony charges and three other counts after deputies say he shot someone during a fight inside a Randolph County kitchen, leaving the victim with a gunshot wound to the abdomen. Jeffery Dalton Layton appeared for a Monday arraignment by video from jail and pleaded not guilty to all charges tied to the August 8 incident.
Layton was charged with first-degree domestic assault, armed criminal action, unlawful possession of a firearm, and unlawful use of a weapon, according to ABC17NEWS. The charges are also described in the report. A court issued a no-bond warrant for Layton following the shooting.
What Court Documents Say Happened
According to a probable cause statement cited by ABC17NEWS, Layton allegedly shot someone during a fight at a Randolph County home on August 8. Court documents indicate a witness let the victim into the home after the victim had been locked out, and the shooting occurred in the kitchen, according to law enforcement. Deputies later transported the victim to an area hospital, and two teenagers reported hearing gunshots after leaving the area where the fight occurred, deputies said.
At the scene, law enforcement recovered a handgun, spent shell casings, and a bullet, the outlet's report notes. The victim sustained serious injuries, including the gunshot wound to the abdomen.
Conflicting Accounts of Who Started the Fight
Court documents show competing versions of how the confrontation began. A witness told investigators that, if she were to guess, Layton started the fight, while that same witness account also describes the victim and Layton as having mutually caused the altercation. Layton's wife, meanwhile, told deputies that the victim started the fight, according to court documents referenced in the same report.
Sentencing Exposure Under Missouri Law
The charges Layton faces carry significant penalties. Under Missouri Revised Statutes § 565.072, first-degree domestic assault is ordinarily a Class B felony punishable by 5 to 15 years, but it escalates to a Class A felony carrying 10 to 30 years or life imprisonment when the act causes serious physical injury, according to the Scrivner Law Firm.
The armed criminal action count is an add-on charge.
The unlawful possession charge points to a prior record. Under Missouri Revised Statutes § 571.070, felon-in-possession is normally a Class D felony carrying up to 7 years, but it rises to a Class C felony carrying up to 10 years when the earlier conviction involved a violent or dangerous felony, according to Rose Legal Services. Separately, carrying a loaded firearm while intoxicated is charged as a Class E felony punishable by up to 4 years under Missouri Revised Statutes § 571.030, per the same firm. Beyond state court, federal law under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g) bars convicted felons from possessing firearms or ammunition, exposing violators to a parallel federal case carrying up to 10 years, according to KC Defense Counsel.
What Comes Next
Missouri's domestic violence statute, RSMo § 565.002, defines a domestic victim broadly to include current or former spouses, cohabitants, people who share a child, family members, and those in an ongoing dating relationship, according to FindLaw. Bond conditions often include no-contact orders. Layton has a hearing scheduled for 1:30 p.m. on August 17.
Layton appeared by video from jail, according to ABC17NEWS. The report describes the arraignment and charges.
