Community Pleading for Answers, Justice After Deadly Storefront Shooting
By: Josh Berry
Updated: September 15, 2012
It happened Friday (9/14) night in De Valls Bluff in Prairie County in the parking lot of Happy Times Liquor Store.
State police are investigating the in's and out's of the case.
While most of what folks in De Valls Bluff had to say was here-say, they seem to have a very clear idea of how everything went down.
"It was a senseless, heartless and gutless shooting," said the cousin of the victim, Terence Metcalf.
The scene drew quite a crowd Friday night and Saturday. Family and friends all gathered hoping to find answers; Answers to why the owner of Happy Times Liquor, 61-year-old, Ed Wilson shot 41-year-old Dale Metcalf as he turned to walk away. They said there was no justification for that, nor why Metcalf was apparently left to lay there for hours in the rain after the shooting.
Long-time friend of Metcalf, Melvin Campbell explained, "This family is outraged because they allowed this body to just lay there for so long."
We still aren't sure exactly why Metcalf's body laid there for hours after the shooting. Officials didn't get back to us by print time.
Friends and relatives of Metcalf's said he was shot in front of the store. They said it was in the back of the head and in cold-blooded murder. Just as there's two sides to every road however, there's two sides to every story.
"Ed was protecting his place," claimed Wilson's friend, Ana Carrell.
We're told there was a history between Wilson and Metcalf. Officials couldn't confirm for KARK but those close to Wilson said Metcalf had actually stolen from Wilson's store before.
Carrell said, "Dale knew he was not supposed to be on his premises."
While one side of the tale said Metcalf was avoiding more confrontation, the other claimed the owner of the liquor store was simply trying to stop an agitated Metcalf.
"From what I understood from other people was that he was protecting himself," added Carrell.
They admit Wilson may not have handled a tense situation appropriately but wanted to vouch for him that it wasn't cold-blooded.
Either way, both sides hope for a full investigation and justice to prevail.
"Let's ensure that the man who done this ruthless killing on last night with malicious intent is brought to justice," pleaded Campbell. "That's all we want."


