UPDATE 2/13/23 — Karlinski has a bond reduction and bond review hearing scheduled for 9 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. on Feb. 21.

Original story, published Feb. 7, 2023:

PHELPS COUNTY, Mo. — A St. James man was arrested on Feb. 6 in connection to the murder of his father.

Samuel Ralph James Karlinski, 19, of St. James, is formally charged with two felonies: second-degree murder and armed criminal action.

According to the Phelps County Sheriff’s Office, they received a 911 call at 8:51 a.m. on Feb. 6 about a shooting at a residence near St. James. When deputies arrived, they found that Ralph Leon Karlinski Jr. was dead from apparent gunshot wounds.

Court documents show that the person who contacted the police said that Samuel Karlinski had shot his father three times with a .22-caliber pistol.

Samuel Karlinski was arrested after a subsequent investigation and taken to the Phelps County Jail without bond. According to the probable cause statement, Samuel said he shot Ralph twice in the chest and once in the head in self-defense.

During the investigation, it was found that one of the chest shots was in Ralph’s face. Samuel showed no signs of injuries. Multiple other shots were fired into a wall and door inside a bedroom.

Karlinski has not yet been scheduled for a court appearance. This article will be updated as more information becomes available.