POPLAR BLUFF, Mo - (KMOX) A suspect has been arrested in connection with the deaths of a mom and her nine year old daughter. Last month, they were found in their burning Walnut Park home. Police determined both the victims had been shot, then the house was set on fire.
The suspect Michael McNair was taken into custody today (Tuesday) in Poplar Bluff. Butler County Sheriff's deputies, Poplar Bluff Police , Missouri Highway Patrol, and U-S Marshals Fugitive Task Force arrested McNair without incident.
Here is the release from Poplar Bluff Police:
A wanted person for homicide has been taken into custody in Popalr Bluff.
JR Keirsey Chief of Police tells KWOC News, on December 23, 2025, the Poplar Bluff Police Department was contacted by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department Homicide Division regarding an active investigation. Detectives advised that Michael McNair was a person of interest in their case and was believed to have ties to the Poplar Bluff area.
The victim’s vehicle, equipped with a lienholder-installed tracking device, was shown to be in Poplar Bluff. Officers located the vehicle at an abandoned home in the 1500 block of Benton Street, but McNair was not found at that time.
On January 8, 2026, a joint investigation involving the Poplar Bluff Police Department, Butler County Sheriff’s Office, and the U.S. Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force searched multiple locations, but McNair remained at large.
Law enforcement continued working tirelessly, and in the days leading up to January 27, 2026, new information led officers to a residence in the 3400 block of Highway B. Members of the Poplar Bluff Police Department, Butler County Sheriff’s Office, Missouri State Highway Patrol, and the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force converged on the location, where McNair was taken into custody without incident.
He will be transported back to St. Louis for further questioning.
Chief Keirsey would like to personally thank everyone involved for tirelessly working on tracking down this individual and ultimately making our streets safer.