Greene County prosecutor drops charges against Florida man wanted for deadly downtown Springfield shooting

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (KY3) - The Greene County prosecutor dismissed the charges against a Florida man wanted for a deadly shooting in downtown Springfield in February of 2021.

Officers arrested Thomas Earl Haynes, 45, of St. Cloud, Fla. He faced a second-degree murder charge in the death of Robert Moffett, 32, of Springfield.

The Greene County Prosecutor’s Office released this statement to KY3:

“The reason for the dismissal was that in preparation for trial, the State identified issues that required additional investigation. The case was dismissed to allow the additional investigation to occur. The dismissal without prejudice means that the charges can be refiled, if appropriate, depending on the results of the additional information.”

Investigators say Springfield Police Department officers heard gunshots in the area of Patton and Walnut in the early hours of February 6. They found Moffett with multiple gunshot wounds in a parking lot southwest of the intersection. He was shot in the chest. Moffett later died of his injuries.

Investigators say three witnesses in the area tied Haynes to the scene of the shooting. Police say Haynes was with two women, who were identified after images were shown on KY3 News. The women left with Haynes but told police they did not witness the shooting.

Haynes worked for Prime Trucking. Police arrested him after keeping surveillance on his girlfriend’s home. Investigators say Haynes denied being in Springfield at the time of the shooting death. Investigators argued driver logs and GPS showed him in the Springfield area from February 2 through February 18.

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