Man accused of murder after police say Senath nursing home resident dies after beating

SENATH, Mo. (KBSI) – A man faces murder and armed criminal action charges after police say he beat a resident at a Senath nursing home.

Christian C. Ault faces charges of second-degree murder and armed criminal action charges.

Police responded to the Senath South Health Care Center on 300 East Hornbeck Street in Senath about 7 p.m. on July 13 for a report of an assault.

A Senath police officer says nursing staff told him Ault walked into his room and took the back toilet lid off his toilet. Then, staff say Ault walked down to the victim’s room.

The victim was standing in the doorway of his room. Police say when Ault tried to hit the victim in the head with the toilet lid, the victim was able to avoid the first swing by pushing Ault into the hallway and in next to the wall.

Then, police say Ault struck the victim with the toilet seat several times in the head until it broke.

As a police officer entered, he says Ault told him he wanted to go to jail.

Ault had a deep cut on his left hand and blood on his clothes.

The officer says there was a lot of blood all over the room. The nursing staff had already covered the victim’s head injuries.

The victim was taken by Survival Flight to St. Benards in Jonesboro, Arkansas.

The officer arrested Ault and says while taking him to jail Ault told him he would rather be in jail and that the victim had hit him earlier.

Once at the Dunklin County Justice Center, it was determined Ault need to go to the hospital for the cut on his hand.

Police say the victim’s injuries included thalamic hemorrhages to his right side, injuries to his veterbrae and lacerations to the head.