Hearing set in horseplay gun death

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Aug. 16 in Moniteau County Court in the case against California resident Travis L. Clark, 22, in the shooting death of a Tipton resident who attended Calvary Lutheran High School.

The hearing was set during the defendant's appearance on Tuesday with his attorney, public defender Thomas John Kirsch.

The defendant was being held Wednesday in the Moniteau County Jail pending posting of $500,000 bond.

Clark was charged on June 8 in the Memorial Day weekend shooting death of Robert R. Ashbaugh III, 18. He was charged with class A felony murder in the second degree class C felony involuntary manslaughter and class D felony unlawful use of a weapon.

The arrest and charges filed were a result of an the incident to which Tipton police officers responded to at a residence on Railroad Avenue at about 11:20 p.m. on May 28. 

Tipton Police Chief Ed Wiecken determined Ashbaugh was dead and immediately requested the Missouri Highway Patrol conduct the investigation into the shooting death.

According to the probable cause statement, Ashbaugh died from a single gunshot wound to the chest. Investigators on the scene reported Ashbaugh was shot by Clark "during horseplay involving firearm." 

Clark reportedly said he was trying to scare Ashbaugh with the rifle. Investigators on the scene located a Savage .243-calber rifle. The report indicatedno one else was injured in the shooting.

Ashbaugh was a junior at CLHS, where he was involved in cross country and track. The funeral was held at the high school on June 15. The Robert Richard Ashbaugh III Scholarship Fund has been set up.