A Jefferson County jury has found Harold E. Luster guilty of killing his 26-year-old son, Kevin M. Ward, during a confrontation at the family home in High Ridge, Missouri, on Christmas Eve 2024.
Luster, 63, was convicted of first-degree murder and armed criminal action following a three-day trial that ended Sept. 11, 2026. He is scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 15 before 23rd Judicial Circuit Judge Travis Partney.
The case began on the night of Dec. 24, 2024, when deputies were called to a home in the 6400 block of Highway PP in High Ridge after a report that a man had been shot. Responding officers found Ward dead from a gunshot wound to the head.
According to court records, Ward had been at his father’s home with his fiancée when an argument developed. Luster had become upset over his belief that his wife was having an affair and accused the couple of knowing about it and withholding information from him.
The confrontation escalated after Luster allegedly threatened Ward’s fiancée. She later told investigators that Ward urged her to get a knife from a vehicle and to call 911 if the situation became dangerous.
She moved away from the house but remained close enough to see what happened next.
Investigators said Ward tried to calm his father and told him, “You’re not going to shoot her.” Luster responded, “You wanna get shot instead?” before approaching Ward and firing a single shot.
Ward fell to the ground and died at the scene.
Surveillance footage from a nearby home also became part of the investigation. According to the evidence described in court records, the video showed a man believed to be Luster leaving the residence and approaching Ward. The footage then showed him raise his arm, followed moments later by what appeared to be a muzzle flash.
Ward’s death came just before he was expecting to begin a new chapter of his life. His mother previously said he and his fiancée were expecting their first child. Family members also remembered Ward as a dedicated worker and a young man who was looking forward to his future.
The case remained pending for nearly two years before reaching trial. Luster has now been convicted on both counts and remains in custody ahead of sentencing.
Under the first-degree murder conviction, Luster faces a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment without parole. His sentencing hearing is set for Dec. 15, 2026.
