Witnesses testify as Randolph County murder trial gets underway

David Kip Heyde sits in a Randolph County courtroom on June 25 at the Randolph County Courthouse in Huntsville on the first day of his murder trial. He is charged in the death of Bailey Scott in July 2025.

HUNTSVILLE — A Moberly man found guilty of murder in connection with the death of 23-year-old Bailey Scott has been sentenced to 20 years in prison. 

Judge Robert Koffman, who was assigned to the case by the Missouri Supreme Court, found David Kip Heyde guilty of second-degree murder in June and issued the sentence Friday.

Prosecutor Stephanie Luntsford said Heyde shot and killed Scott on July 6, 2025, at Heyde's Moberly home. Heyde's attorney argued that he acted in self-defense and was fearful of Scott injuring him, a claim that the prosecution rejected.

Koffman ruled the evidence presented at trial did not support Heyde's claim of self-defense. The judge found there was no threat to Heyde that justified the use of deadly force and concluded the shooting was not lawful self-defense.

“A life was taken over a disagreement about bird seeds or feeding the birds…there was no reason, or no sufficient reason, that this should have happened the way it did and that Bailey Scott should be dead but she is, and there’s no changing that,” Luntsford said. 

The Scott family was present for the sentencing. Scott's mother offered a statement and said Heyde killed her daughter and left her four-year-old grandson without their mother. 

Murder charge filed in fatal shooting of Moberly woman

Bailey Scott was shot and killed Sunday night in Moberly. She was 23.

Eva Lynner, KOMU 8 Reporter

Heyde apologized for his actions and to the Scott family, saying it was not his intention to hurt anyone. 

Heyde will have the opportunity for parole after serving 85% of his sentence. The sentence is "considered a dangerous felony"; therefore, Heyde is required to serve 85% of his sentence to become eligible for parole according to Luntsford. 

Luntsford also said now that the sentence has been more, it has brought the family closure. 

"I think it's perhaps good for some closure on this and to move forward," Luntsford said. 

Heyde was a former Moberly police officer, according to previous KOMU 8 reporting.