Scott County fire chief charged with murder in wife’s death

FOX23 Sales Team

SCOTT COUNTY, Mo., (KBSI) — A Scott County fire chief has been arrested and charged with second-degree murder and several other felonies following a more than yearlong investigation into the death of his wife.

Missouri State Highway Patrol troopers arrested 45-year-old Jeremy Perrien shortly after 7 a.m. Friday, Aug. 21, according to Scott County Sheriff Derick Wheetley.

Perrien is charged in Scott County with second-degree murder, felony harassment, second-degree domestic assault and two counts of tampering with physical evidence in a felony prosecution.

He is being held in the Stoddard County Jail without bond.

The charges stem from the investigation into the death of Shelby Perrien. Wheetley said the original call for service was reported as a possible self-inflicted gunshot wound.

At the time, Jeremy Perrien was a reserve deputy, assistant coroner and fire chief in Scott County, according to Wheetley.

Because of Perrien’s connections to local law enforcement and emergency services, Wheetley said the sheriff’s office immediately turned the investigation over to the Missouri State Highway Patrol’s Division of Drug and Crime Control.

“We did that for one reason: to ensure this investigation was independent, transparent, and free from any actual or perceived conflict of interest,” Wheetley said.

The sheriff also addressed accusations that his office had protected Perrien because of his association with law enforcement.

Wheetley said the sheriff’s office stayed out of the investigation after turning it over to the Highway Patrol and did not control where the evidence led, what conclusions investigators reached or what charging decisions were made.

“There is an important difference between covering something up and allowing independent investigators to do their jobs without compromising an active investigation,” Wheetley said.

Following the Highway Patrol’s investigation, the case was submitted to the Missouri Attorney General’s Office, which reviewed the case and filed the charges.

Wheetley said he personally knew both Jeremy and Shelby Perrien and had worked alongside Jeremy Perrien at numerous fire scenes and calls for service.

“Today’s charges demonstrate exactly why we turned this investigation over from the beginning and why we remained patient and allowed independent agencies to follow the evidence wherever it led,” Wheetley said.

The sheriff asked the public to respect Shelby Perrien’s family and allow the criminal justice process to move forward.

The Scott County Sheriff’s Office said it had no further involvement in the investigation and directed additional questions to the Missouri State Highway Patrol and Missouri Attorney General’s Office.

Perrien is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.