ST. JAMES — Nearly three years after a brutal double stabbing that left one man dead and another seriously injured, Joseph Duane Snow, 35, of St. James, has pleaded guilty to murder in the second degree and assault in the first degree.

According to the Phelps County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, Snow entered the guilty pleas on Thursday, Nov. 6, before The Honorable William E. Hickle. Both counts are Class A felonies and carry a sentencing range of 10 to 30 years, or life imprisonment.

The charges stem from a May 9, 2023, incident in St. James that began with a 911 call reporting a stabbing at a residence near 44 Saint Ann Avenue. Responding officers determined the stabbing occurred at 643 Saint David Street, according to the probable cause statement.

“Officers quickly determined that two individuals had been stabbed inside the residence,” the statement said. “Officers determined that Luke Moreland (age 49) was dead as a result of multiple stab wounds and Jeffrey Pitts (age 44) was alive but suffering from multiple stab wounds. Preliminary information indicates Moreland was stabbed at least eight times. Pitts was stabbed at least nine times.”

Pitts was airlifted to a St. Louis trauma center, where he remained in critical condition.

Investigators said the attack followed an argument among the three men inside the home. Witnesses identified Snow as the assailant and told officers he fled the scene in a red Chevrolet Impala. He was arrested the same day after a brief search.

Snow later admitted to investigators that he had stabbed both victims during the altercation, according to the probable cause statement.

The case, originally filed in Phelps County, was handled by the Phelps County Sheriff’s Office with assistance from St. James Police and the Missouri State Highway Patrol. It was prosecuted by Phelps County First Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Kara L. Wacker, later continuing under Pulaski County Prosecutor Taylor Michelle Banholzer after a change of venue.

“This outcome would not have been possible without the strength of the victim and the victims’ families,” the Phelps County Prosecutor’s Office said in a statement. “We hope this long road can turn toward healing.”

Snow’s final sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 5, 2026, at 2:30 p.m. in Phelps County Circuit Court.