Investigators said a missing Dodge Ram became a key lead after Robert Manns was found dead in Naylor.

NAYLOR, Mo. — A southeast Missouri man has been charged with first-degree murder after authorities said his 71-year-old father was found dead inside a Naylor home and the victim’s Dodge Ram was later traced to Poplar Bluff.

Dustin D. Manns, 44, of Broseley, faces five felony counts in the death of Robert D. Manns, 71, of Naylor. The case moved quickly after the Ripley County Sheriff’s Office asked the Missouri State Highway Patrol’s Division of Drug and Crime Control to investigate a suspicious death on April 13. By April 14, the Ripley County prosecuting attorney had filed charges, and Manns was being held without bond.

The investigation began at a home in the 600 block of Route B, where Robert Manns was found dead on April 13. According to court records described by authorities, Robert Manns’ sister went to the home after she had not heard from him since April 11. She found the front door unlocked and discovered him in a bedroom. When Ripley County deputies arrived, she told them his silver Dodge Ram was missing from the driveway. She also told officers that Dustin Manns, Robert Manns’ son, could not be reached by phone. Those details gave investigators two urgent leads: the missing vehicle and the missing son.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol said investigators followed several leads tied to the suspicious death, including the missing truck. The patrol’s Division of Drug and Crime Control later found the vehicle at a residence in Poplar Bluff, in neighboring Butler County. Officers contacted Dustin Manns at that same residence. He was detained and taken back to the Ripley County Sheriff’s Office for questioning. The patrol said investigators obtained additional evidence during the interview that connected him to his father’s death. Officials have not released a full timeline of where Manns went after leaving Naylor, how long the truck had been in Poplar Bluff or whether anyone else was present when officers arrived.

According to the probable cause statement reviewed in the case, Dustin Manns allegedly admitted during questioning that he stabbed his father with a fish gig, a type of fishing spear. Investigators said he also admitted striking Robert Manns across the chest with the handle and asphyxiating him until he was dead. The fishing spear was recovered at the scene where Robert Manns was found. Authorities have not publicly released a motive. They also have not said whether there had been prior police calls to the home, whether the men had been in a recent dispute or when investigators believe Robert Manns died.

The charges filed April 14 include first-degree murder, armed criminal action, abandonment of a corpse, stealing a motor vehicle and tampering with a motor vehicle. Under Missouri law, first-degree murder is filed when prosecutors allege a killing was deliberate. Armed criminal action is commonly charged when prosecutors allege a felony involved a dangerous weapon. The motor vehicle counts are tied to Robert Manns’ missing Dodge Ram, while the abandonment count addresses what authorities say happened after his death. The filings remain accusations, and evidence must be presented in court before any finding of guilt.

The case also brought together agencies on both sides of the Ripley County and Butler County line. Naylor, where Robert Manns lived, is in southern Ripley County, near the Arkansas border. Broseley, where Dustin Manns was identified as living, is in Butler County. Poplar Bluff, where authorities said the truck was found, is the largest city in Butler County and sits north of Naylor. The Missouri State Highway Patrol thanked the Ripley County Sheriff’s Office and the Butler County Sheriff’s Office for helping with the investigation and arrest. The patrol’s Division of Drug and Crime Control often assists smaller departments with homicide and suspicious death investigations.

Law enforcement has released few details about the condition of the home or the scene inside the bedroom. The report that the front door was unlocked and the truck was gone became central to the first hours of the case. The discovery by Robert Manns’ sister also set the timeline in motion. She told authorities she had not heard from him since April 11, two days before deputies were called. Investigators have not publicly said whether April 11 is believed to be the date of the attack. They have not identified additional witnesses, released autopsy findings or said whether forensic testing remains pending.

Dustin Manns was booked into the Ripley County Detention Center in Doniphan and ordered held without bond. Officials said the next court date was not immediately available when the charges were reported. The next public steps are expected to include a first appearance or bond review, the appointment or entry of defense counsel and future hearings where prosecutors may present evidence supporting the charges. Investigators could also file more reports as laboratory results, vehicle processing and scene evidence are reviewed.

For now, the case rests on a chain of events that started with a welfare concern, moved through a death investigation and ended with an arrest in another county. Robert Manns’ sister found him after two days without contact, deputies noted the missing truck, state investigators located the Dodge Ram in Poplar Bluff and Dustin Manns was taken into custody there. Authorities said the weapon described as a fish gig was recovered at the Naylor scene.

Author note: Last updated May 7, 2026.