Two men are facing charges for the death of 17-year-old Kenny Stout. Christopher A. Jorgensen and Nathan W. Jensen are charged with first degree murder, armed criminal action and abandonment of a corpse. The Douglas County Sheriff questioned three persons of interest on Thursday. Family and friends reported Stout missing on December 13 after he did not answer phone calls and texts. After a lengthy interview with Jensen, investigators found Stout's body in a wooded area near the Ava Country Club around 4:30 Thursday morning.
According to court documents, Stout met Jensen at a gas station in Ava. Stout sent a text to his friend to tell him that he was with Jensen, who Stout referred to as "Mace." Jensen went to the Texas County Sheriff's Office on Wednesday. He reportedly told officers he had information about a homicide in Douglas County. He had previously told Ava police he did not know Stout and had not had any contact with him. Cell phone records showed numerous contacts between the two on the day Stout disappeared.
Investigators say Jensen told them Jorgensen drove him out on a dirt road past the golf course in Ava. "Jorgensen parked the car on the road and walked into the woods," the officer wrote in the probable cause statement. "He returned about 15 minutes later, wiping his hands." Jensen told officers Jorgensen then drove to a home north of Cabool to burn some of the clothes he wore when he killed Stout. "Chris asked Jensen to bend over and use his cell phone to illuminate a lock that Chris needed to open," the officer wrote. "Chris then placed a gun against Jensen's head. He heard 2 'clicks' that appeared to be a gun misfiring. He suspected Chris was trying to kill him." Jensen ran away telling officers Jorgensen tried to fire at him as he ran.
On Wednesday, officers arrested Jorgensen at his home on 4th Avenue in Ava. A deputy says he observed a knife block in the kitchen that appeared to be missing one knife. Jensen showed officers the location of Stout's body. It was about 150 yards from the road off County Road 500. Stout was stabbed seven times in the back and once in the right chest. There was also a shallow laceration to the neck. "Upon rolling Kenny over onto his back there was apparent blunt force trauma and swelling to his face," the officer wrote.
Another couple reported Jorgensen admitted he had "killed a guy in Douglas County." They told a Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper Jorgensen was going to hide Jensen out because "he didn't think he could handle it." The couple told officers Jorgensen put a gun to Jensen's head and shot at him but missed. They said Jorgensen killed Stout because he was giving Jensen "a hard time a couple of weeks ago."
During a second interview with Jensen, he told officers he drove Jorgensen to the location on County Road 500. He originally told officers Jorgensen drove to the crime scene. Jensen told officers Jorgensen used a knife that belonged to his son.
On Friday, Jorgensen entered a Douglas County courtroom wearing a black and white jail uniform. He was shackled on both his hands and feet. Jorgensen, who wore a bullet proof vest, did not talk during the hearing. The judge read the charges against him and set his next court date. The judge entered a not guilty plea for Jorgensen.
Jensen was charged with Stout's murder late Friday afternoon. He has yet to appear in court.
