Man found fatally shot in Ozark car dealership

OZARK -- The owner of a car dealership was found fatally shot inside his business Monday morning.
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Rufus Church , 56, of Ozark was found dead at Ozark Dodge about 6:25 a.m. Monday by an employee who was reporting for work, Ozark Police Chief Lyle Hodges said.

As of Monday afternoon, police were treating Church's death as a homicide.

Officials have not said whether a weapon was found at the scene . Hodges declined to comment when asked whether there were signs of forced entry into the dealership.

Officials would not discuss whether there are any suspects.

Church died of a gunshot wound, but Hodges would not say how many times or where he had been shot.

Ozark Dodge, located on the north side of Route CC just west of U.S. 65, was surrounded by yellow crime scene tape as investigators worked the scene. Several police cars lined the parking lot.

The dealership was shut down Monday and employees were sent home, Hodges said.

Law enforcement officials remained at the scene throughout the day. The investigation is being conducted jointly by the Ozark Police Department, Christian County Sheriff's Department and Missouri Highway Patrol.

Ozark residents spoke of layoffs at the dealership not long ago.

A bright orange bulletin running across the dealership's Web site Monday afternoon read: "Attention: This is a public notice of inventory liquidation. Ozark Dodge must liquidate all new and used vehicles now. Our prices have been slashed. No reasonable offer will be refused."

It went on to say: "New-used-demo -- it doesn't matter -- it all has to go now. Huge savings on every vehicle in stock."

Church's father, Phil Church, started Ozark Chrysler Plymouth, which later become known as Ozark Dodge, the Missouri Secretary of State's Web site shows.

Phil Church died in October 2006 at 87, a News-Leader obituary said.

Ozark Dodge has been in business for more than 31 years, its Web site says.

In 2005, Rufus Church donated a parcel of land in hopes that the Christian County Animal Shelter Board could build a shelter there. He wanted to donate the land, located at the end of 10th Street just north of the Finley River, in memory of his late sister who was a cat lover, past News-Leader articles show.

The board ran into problems, however, because the land was not zoned properly for an animal shelter. The land was then sold to raise money to locate a shelter elsewhere.