Three men charged with murder eight years after Missouri man’s death ruled a drowning

Nearly eight years after a Missouri man’s death was ruled a drowning, authorities have now charged three men with murder in connection with the case.

Zachary Dalton Watson, Austin Drake Womack, and Ronald D. Brawley III are facing second-degree murder charges in the death of Robbie Crites, 20, who was found dead in the Jacks Fork River in 2018, the Shannon County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement on March 5.

Authorities say the men allegedly assaulted Crites, wrapped him in fishing line, and dumped him into the river, causing him to drown, according to criminal complaints obtained by People. 

Each of the accused is being held on a $250,000 cash bond, and it’s unclear if they have entered pleas or retained attorneys.

The case was reopened in early 2025 after investigators conducted an “extensive and thorough review” of the original investigation. 

New evidence and inconsistencies prompted authorities to pursue charges, concluding that Crites’ death was “not accidental.”

Court documents allege that on or around June 16, 2018, the three men, acting with “another person or persons,” intended to cause serious physical injury to Crites. 

Witnesses reportedly told police that Womack admitted to the killing on multiple occasions, claiming Crites owed him money or, alternatively, that he had killed Crites for sexually assaulting Womack’s sister. 

Womack allegedly described beating and stabbing Crites with a fishing hook before kicking him into the river.

Probable cause affidavits state that Brawley and Watson were also involved in placing Crites into the river. 

Witnesses described finding him later with fishing line wrapped around his ankles, knees, and back, and a grab hook embedded in his rib cage. 

Another witness said Brawley confessed that the killing stemmed from a drug deal dispute.

According to affidavits, Brawley threw the first punch, Womack joined in, and Watson “mouthed off” to Crites before the men wrapped him in fishing wire and left him in the river.

The sheriff’s office said the investigation remains active and ongoing. “Our investigators refused to let this case remain closed when the facts did not add up,” the statement read. 

“This office is committed to seeking justice, no matter how much time has passed.”