Ricky Allen Obituary, Death; – An arrest warrant has been issued following a grand jury indictment for involuntary manslaughter against a woman from Kearney, who is accused of fatally shooting her husband.
Records from the Circuit Court of Clay County, Missouri, filed on Tuesday, February 11, indicate that 48-year-old Melissa I. Hoffner-Allen has been indicted for second-degree involuntary manslaughter.
Initially, the Clay County Prosecutor’s Office charged Hoffner-Allen with second-degree murder and armed criminal action after her arrest in June. According to the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, a 911 call was received around 10 p.m. on June 18 from a woman who reported that she had shot her husband in the chest. The caller was later identified as Hoffner-Allen, and it was noted that her husband was not breathing and lacked a pulse.
Upon the arrival of first responders, they discovered Ricky Allen, 50, in the living room with a gunshot wound to his chest, and he was pronounced dead at the scene. Hoffner-Allen informed investigators that her husband had been angry and had choked her. After she went upstairs to retrieve a firearm, she claimed he instructed her to shoot him, which she did.
Authorities reported that the firearm used in the incident was a gift recently given to Hoffner-Allen by the deceased. Following this, she was taken into custody. If convicted of involuntary manslaughter, Hoffner-Allen could face a maximum sentence of four years in prison and a fine of $10,000. An arrest warrant was issued on February 11, with a bond set at $100,000. As of 11 a.m. on Wednesday, she has not been apprehended.
Hoffner-Allen had previously been released on bond during court proceedings in 2024 and was permitted to visit family in Texas for the holiday season. No additional information has been disclosed.
