Woman shot to death, infant suffers skull fracture

By Kyle Troutman [email protected]

A 33-year-old Monett man is being held in the Barry County jail on no bond after allegedly shooting a woman to death on Dec. 20 at an apartment complex in Monett.

Alan Mellow, 33, of Monett, is charged with first-degree murder, first-degree endangering the welfare of a child, and two counts of armed criminal action. According to a press release from Monett Police Chief George Daoud, the victim was identified as Hannah Lee Blizard, 30, of Monett.

According to a probable cause statement filed by Det. Sgt. Scott Landreth, with the Monett Police Department, on Dec. 20, officers were dispatched to a shots fired call at the Fairway Apartments in Monett. While en route, they were advised a woman had been shot.

Cpl. Iannaccone arrived on the scene and observed a female on the ground near a Nissan passenger car, noting she appeared bloody and lifeless. Iannaccone spoke with a witness who said he saw a while male, whom he thought was named Alan, shoot the woman three times at close range, then went into an apartment with an infant.

Iannaccone, along with Barry County Sheriff’s Office Deputies Calderon and Hightower, began evacuating the scene and clearing surrounding apartments, and while outside of the apartment identified by the witness, Iannaccone heard a male state, “My son will grow up without a dad.”

Monett officers then summoned additional resources, including all its detectives and a Missouri State Highway Patrol special weapons and tactics team. Landreth said when he arrived on scene, Sgt. J. Givens, with the Patrol, was speaking to the suspect via telephone, ultimately convincing the suspect to surrender and turn the infant over to police.

The suspect, identified as Mellow, was taken into custody without incident and transported to the Barry County jail.

Monett Detectives Brown and Salazar processed the scene and released Blizard’s body to Barry County Coroner Gary Swearingen, who pronounced her dead at the scene. The infant was transported to Cox Monett Hospital for evaluation, then due to suspicious injuries, transferred to Cox South Hospital in Springfield for further treatment, where it was determined the child had a skull fracture of as yet undetermined nature. The child was then transferred to a hospital in St. Louis.

A search of the apartment Mellow was in allegedly revealed a loaded Taurus PT809c semi-automatic handgun on the kitchen counter, along with a nylon type holster and spare 17-round magazine.

The weapon allegedly contained a partially expended 13-round magazine. That magazine had Winchester hollow point ammunition, and the 17-round magazine contained full metal jacketed rounds.

Landreth then went to the Barry County jail to interview Mellow, who after signing a written waiver of his Miranda rights, agreed to speak with Landreth, with Barry County Det. Abby Parsons also present.

According to Landreth’s statement, Mellow said he and Blizard had recently had a child together and the Blizard “had a severe alcohol addiction he was trying to help her with.” 

“He said that [on Dec. 20] they were arguing about her alcohol use and the fact she had stolen coins from his coin collection, which he believed she used to purchase alcohol,” Landreth’s statement said. “He said [Blizard] decided to call her mother and leave with the child. Mellow said he would not allow that and decided to leave himself with the child.

“Mellow said he took [the infant] outside to his vehicle and was pursued by [Blizard]. He said he put [the infant] in the backseat of the vehicle and he got into the driver’s side. [Blizard] went to the passenger side and got in to prevent him from leaving with [the infant]. Mellow said his handgun was in the vehicle, and when [Blizard] got in, he shot her ‘a couple of times’ in the head.”

Landreth said Mellow then disclosed he went to the passenger side of the vehicle and opened the door, intending to remove [Blizard] and leave her at the scene, but instead took [the infant] out of the vehicle and went back inside the apartment, where he was later contacted by Givens.

Landreth included in his statement that Mellow allegedly made several statements that he knew best what to do with [Blizard] and displayed deep distrust of law enforcement and Child Protective Services. Additionally, Mellow has a past history of violent behavior, Landreth said. 

Mellow’s criminal history online shows multiple traffic and vehicular registration infractions, as well as charges of possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of marijuana, all in Cassville, Monett and surrounding areas.