Tecumseh man charged with domestic assault after wife says he attacked her

An Ozark County man is accused of violently attacking his wife, including choking her until she lost consciousness, throwing her to the floor and kicking her, before preventing her from seeking medical help. 

The incident unfolded at their home on Feb. 6 and continued while they were in a vehicle, according to a probable cause statement filed by Ozark County Deputy Gannan Moss. 

Robert Marshall, 32, of Tecumseh, is now charged with domestic assault and is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on April 7.

According to the probable cause statement, prepared by Ozark County Deputy Gannan Moss, the officer was dispatched to a report of a domestic assault investigation on Feb. 6, after a woman had spoken with the West Plains Police Department at Ozarks Healthcare hospital in West Plains following the incident. 

Moss conducted a follow up interview with the victim over the phone. 

“She said she was at home when her husband, Robert Marshall, arrived. He asked her to cuddle, which she declined. Robert became angry, grabbed her by the neck and threw her to the floor. He then locked the bedroom door, got on top of her and choked her. When she attempted to get up, he began kicking her. He choked her again, at which point she lost consciousness,” Moss’s report says. 

“When the victim regained consciousness, she reported that Robert went to his gun cabinet and stated he was going to kill himself. At that time, she ran out the open door and fled to her mother-in-law’s residence. After staying there for awhile, she decided to return to her residence and convince Robert to take her to the hospital, which he initially agreed to.”

The woman said that while they were in the process of driving to the hospital, Marshall told her that he’d changed his mind and was taking her back home instead. She said she attempted to exit the vehicle, but he held his arm over her to prevent her from leaving. 

The woman then told the officer that Robert choked her again inside the vehicle and took her phone to prevent her from calling for help. 

She was eventually able to grab her cell phone and exit the vehicle and made call to her personal caretaker for assistance. She said Robert drove off, leaving her in South Fork, where she waited for a ride to the hospital.

The victim’s statements describe multiple incidents of physical assault including being choked, strangled, thrown to the floor, kicked and unlawfully restrained or false imprisonment. 

Her injuries were observed and treated at the hospital. West Plains Police officer Keepes told Deputy Moss that the doctors told him the injuries she sustained matched her report of strangulation. 

Marshall is charged with domestic assault, a class D felony. He was held in jail from Feb. 17 to March 10, when he was released on supervised pre-trial bond with GPS monitoring. He is ordered to have no contact with the victim. He is scheduled to return to court before Associate Judge Raymond Gross at 1:30 p.m. April 7 for a preliminary hearing.