BOWLING GREEN, Mo. — A man was sentenced on Friday to 12آ½ years in prison for being the driver in a crash that killed a Lincoln County Sheriff’s deputy.
David Case, 36, of Troy, was charged with killing Steven Tucker, 60, who he hit almost two years ago on Highway J in rural Lincoln County.
His blood alcohol content later tested at twice the legal limit, according to court documents.
“He had full knowledge that he was drunk,†Lincoln County Prosecuting Attorney Mike Wood said on Friday after the sentencing, “and knew that there was a risk he could hit someone.â€
Case’s sedan crossed the center line and hit Tucker’s motorcycle on July 8, 2023. Tucker was off duty.
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Tucker, who had been working for the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department as a bailiff for about five months, previously worked as a Wright City police officer and was police chief in the city of Berger in Franklin County before joining the sheriff’s department.
The case was transferred to Pike County, about 90 miles north of أغر؟´«أ½, after Case’s defense attorney requested a change of venue. They later asked for a new judge to hear the case. Ralls County Judge David Mobley was assigned the case.
Case was charged with DUI in the death of Tucker, plus three misdemeanors: failure to drive on the right side of the road, lack of insurance, and no seat belt.
Case pleaded guilty in January to all four counts.
Prosecutors sought the maximum sentence of 16 years.
Still, Wood said he was pleased with Friday’s sentencing.
“I don’t think anyone walked away from the courtroom today feeling that there was a lack of justice,†Wood said.
Post-Dispatch photographers capture hundreds of images each week; here's a glimpse at the week of March 23, 2025. Video edited by Jenna Jones.
