Cold case murder trial from 2014 death includes NWMO man

JAY, Okla. (KQTV) -- A St. Joseph, Missouri, man is set to appear for a trial in Delaware County, Oklahoma, for his involvement in a 2014 cold case.

James Merritt Larson, Jr., 43, of St. Joseph, is charged with murder in the first degree with deliberate intent.

Information obtained by our ABC and CBS affiliate in Joplin, Missouri, states that Larson is accused of fatally stabbing Dustin Carver in the chest, hauling his body to a burn pile and setting his body on fire, among other things.

Carver was just 20 years old when he was last seen on March 3, 2014, at Larson's property in rural southern Delaware County. He was initially reported missing to the Kansas, Oklahoma, police department.

Bones and bone fragments were found in a burn pit in 2014 and were sent to the Tulsa Medical Examiner's office for DNA testing.

Penny Larson, Larson's estranged wife and Bradley Majors are expected to testify against Larson.

According to arrest records, Larson threatened Carver with a knife over a false allegation that Carver raped Penny. The two men fought, prompting Larson to stab Carver.

Penny and Majors left the home and later returned to find Carver dead.

Penny and Majors pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of accessory to felony first-degree murder and each received a 20-year suspended sentence in exchange for testifying against Larson.

In 2022, Larson was charged in Clinton County, Missouri, with domestic assault, kidnapping, armed criminal action and unlawful possession of a firearm.

The charges come after a Kansas City woman escaped Larson's two-day confinement.

Preacious Brower was admitted to a Kansas City area hospital in critical condition with multiple injuries, including a brain bleed.

Larson is currently serving a 14-year sentence in the Missouri State Penitentiary on stealing and drug charges.