A Mountain Home man, 60-year-old Robert Dean Penny, charged with first-degree murder in the shooting death of his landlord last December on Old Military Road, says he was acting in self-defense.
Penny’s attorney, appointed public defender Mark Cooper, has filed a notice of self-defense in Baxter County Circuit Court.
Penny is facing additional charges of aggravated assault and criminal mischief following the incident reportedly originating in an argument over a noise complaint and a potential eviction, leading to the shooting death of the landowner, 71-year-old Chester Raymond Hornowski.
According to the incident report from the Baxter County Sheriff’s Office, the landlord called all of the residents together to apparently discuss the noise complaints. As the tenants began to gather, it was reported muffled gunshots could be heard. They said Penny came out of his room and announced the 71-year-old landlord was dead. He then allegedly made a threat to the other tenants on the property asking them, “You want some of this, too?” in an apparent reference to the weapon he was holding.
When officers arrived, they were told by the tenants the shooter had left the house and was at that moment headed toward his vehicle.
As the blue truck driven by Penny made a wild dash to escape the property, he came very near hitting a Baxter County Sheriff’s deputy and then crashed into Baxter County Sheriff John Montgomery’s parked car. The sheriff was not in the vehicle at the time.
According to investigative reports, about 22 shots were fired. The body of the 71-year-old landowner was found with gunshot wounds to the hands, chest and face.
Penny’s jury trial is set for the week of August 20th.