A Howell County man who was arrested in Ozark County last fall for attacking a man with a machete causing him to nearly lose his hand has been arrested again, this time on charges of tampering with a witness and burglary. Chad Russell McKee of West Plains was arrested July 25 on the felony charges.
According to the probable cause affidavit, the victim, who shares a residence with her sister who is a witness in the machete case against McKee, called law enforcement after she returned to her home in Bakersfield from a quick trip to the store and found a light on inside and then McKee exiting the house.
McKee was upset about the ongoing case against him and the recent passing of the victim’s mother whom had previously had a relationship with. The victim had her one-year-old son with her and wanted to go to a more public place to continue the conversation, so she told McKee she needed to buy items for her son.
They went to the Dollar General and the victim went inside and called law enforcement and said she feared for her and her son’s safety. Before deputies arrived, McKee had left. He was later found at the victim’s house in his car and was taken into custody without incident.
Deputies indicate McKee had clear signs of intoxication. After talking to McKee, they determined he had entered the residence without permission with the intent of waiting for the witness.
Court orders prohibit him from having contact with any witnesses in the case and from entering Ozark County.
McKee is being held without bond in the Ozark County Jail.
MACHETE ASSAULT
The machete assault happened Sept. 16 of 2024. According to the probable cause affidavit in that case, the Ozark County Sheriff’s Office was notified by security officers at Ozarks Healthcare in West Plains after a man showed up there with severe injuries saying he had been attacked with a machete at a house in West Plains and they were about to airlift him to a Springfield hospital.
A Deputy arrived to interview the victim before he departed the hospital. The deputy noted a deep laceration on the victim’s forearm that exposed the bone. The victim said when he and his girlfriend arrived at the house that evening, McKee got out of his car, hit him with machete and got back in his car. The victim retrieved a gun from his glove box and fired one shot a McKee who then left. The victim said he put his arm up to protect himself when McKee swung the machete.
The girlfriend of the victim had previously been in a relationship with McKee. She described the two as best friends. She told deputies she met with McKee the night before the incident happened to break things off with him because she and the victim were going to reconcile their relationship. She says while she was talking to McKee, he was sharpening a 16-18 inch knife and after she told him she was ending their relationship, he said he would “cut the victim’s head off.”
For that incident, McKee is charged with first degree assault, armed criminal action, unlawful use of a weapon and possession of a controlled substance, all felonies.
A trial date for that case has not yet been set.
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