An Exeter man facing a murder charge is now charged with third-degree assault following an altercation with another inmate in the Barry County jail.

Aaron Malone, 24, of Exeter, is charged with third-degree assault. His bond on the jail roster is listed at $20,000.

According to a probable cause statement filed by Deputy C. Roller, on June 17, Malone and the victim became involved in a verbal altercation, and after the argument, the victim walked into his cell, with Malone following him inside.

Once in the cell, Malone allegedly shoved the victim, causing him to fall and hit his head on a metal stool. Malone then left the cell and shut the door, which locked it, effectively trapping the victim inside, according to Roller’s statement.

As a result, the victim sustained a laceration to the top right of his head and received medical treatment from the nursing staff at the Sheriff’s Office. Roller said the incident was captured by the jail’s security cameras.

Malone has been in the jail since November 2024, charged with second-degree murder, abandonment of a corpse and tampering with physical evidence. He allegedly killed Aspen Lewis, 24, of Exeter, and attempted to frame the incident as an abduction and Lewis being a missing person.

Inconsistencies in Malone’s story led the Sheriff’s Office to press him for the location of Lewis’ body, and Malone allegedly lead authorities to her remains in a wooded area near Shell Knob, covered with leaves and sticks.

Malone also faces a charge of damage to jail property stemming from a February incident where he allegedly damaged a sprinkler in a cell, causing it to leak water in the facility.