Charges Filed in May Branson Murder Case

The suspect in the double homicide in Branson Memorial Day Weekend has been identified.

Branson Police Chief Jeff Matthews announces in a press conference Thursday afternoon that 34-year-old Miguel Angel Melendez-Torres was located and arrested without incident in Boston, Massachusetts in October.  Melendez-Torres is charged with two counts of Murder in the second degree, first degree Armed Robbery and Armed Criminal Action in connection with deaths of 38-year-old Krystle Buhl of Forsyth and 39-year-old Richard McMahan of Merriam Woods in the parking lot of Famous Dave's on W. 76 Country Music Blvd on May 29. 

Matthews also stated that during the investigation, Melendez-Torres and a female were also linked to an armed robbery that occurred in Downtown Branson on May 26. The female, not named in the press conference, was arrested in St. Augustine, Florida and was charged with first degree armed robbery while Melendez-Torres is charged with first degree Armed  Robbery and Armed Criminal Action. 

The Press Conference Audio along with the full release from the City of Branson is below plus a link to a detailed story by Jason Wert of the Branson Tri-Lakes News:

https://www.bransontrilakesnews.com/news/local/article_91ab4700-69c4-11ec-a2d9-f373f61d69a8.html

Due to the tireless work of Branson Police investigators and multiple state and federal agencies, the Branson Police Department has identified a suspect in the double homicide that occurred on May 29, 2021, that left two people dead in the 1800 block of W. 76 Country Blvd.

The suspect, 34-year old Miguel Angel Melendez-Torres, was located in the Boston, MA area and was arrested without incident on October 5, 2021. He was extradited to Missouri and remains in custody at this time. Melendez-Torres is charged with two counts of Murder in the second degree, first degree Armed Robbery and Armed Criminal Action.

During the course of the homicide investigation, it was discovered that Melendez-Torres and a 26-year old female associate were also identified as suspects in the armed robbery that occurred in downtown Branson on May 26, 2021. The female was found out of state in St. Augustine, FL, was arrested without incident on September 30, 2021, and was also extradited to Missouri. She remains in custody as well. In relation to this incident, Melendez-Torres is being charged with first degree Armed Robbery and Armed Criminal Action. The female is being charged with first degree Armed Robbery.

This investigation was one of the most complex and detailed investigations ever undertaken by the Branson Police Department. Due to the complexity and extreme amount of work required, Branson Police partnered with multiple agencies throughout the investigation that includes the Taney County Sheriff’s Office, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the United States Secret Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, the Federal Bureau of Investigations, the Mid-States Organized Crime Information Center and the Taney County Prosecutor’s Office.

Throughout this investigation, the Branson Police Department has worked closely with the family of the victims of the double homicide, Krystle Buhl and Richard "Rocky" McMahan. The Branson Police Department wishes to publicly thank them all for their patience and understanding throughout the investigation.

“These crimes have impacted the families and our community and our sense of safety. I am thankful for the assistance of the community, their support and patience as we have progressed through this investigation,” said Branson Police Chief Jeff Matthews. “I am extremely proud of our entire department and our law enforcement partners as they remained focused on facts and followed the evidence from the start,” said Chief Matthews.

The Branson Police Department would also like to thank Sheriff Robert Hardwick and the Saint John County Sheriff’s Office in Florida, The Boston Police Gang Unit, The Massachusetts State Police and The US Marshall’s Fugitive Task Force for aiding in this investigation.