Three Missouri men—Zachary D. Watson, Ronald D. Brawley III, and Austin D. Womack—face second-degree murder charges for the June 16, 2018, death of 20-year-old Robbie Crites along the Jacks Fork River in Eminence, nearly eight years after it was ruled an accidental drowning.
Case Reopened
Shannon County Sheriff’s 2025 reinvestigation uncovered inconsistencies and new witness accounts showing Crites was beaten, bound with fishing line around ankles/knees/back, stabbed with a hook, and dumped in the river—likely over drug debt.
Key Confessions
Womack allegedly bragged repeatedly: “Yeah, I killed that motherf***er, he owed me money for dope”; detailed pole-beating, punches, hook rip across torso, final kick into water (exculpating others). Brawley drunkenly admitted starting fight/escalation; Watson placed at scene with them, sought fishing gear post-drop-off.
Sheriff Steven Hogan: “A child’s life was taken… truth sat buried” for 7.5 years. All held on $250K cash bonds; investigation ongoing—tips sought. Persistence triumphs in cold case.
