Greene County prosecutors late Thursday afternoon charged a man from Springfield for a deadly stabbing at a home on East University Street on Wednesday evening. Edward M. Gutting, 43, is charged with second-degree murder, first-degree assault, two counts of armed criminal action, and first-degree burglary.

Marc F. Cooper, 66, of Springfield died in the attack. His wife, Nancy Cooper, 67, was stabbed while trying to defend her husband but police say her injuries are non-life threatening. She said she didn't know Gutting when he barged into their home.

The probable cause statement against Gutting says police found Gutting walking in the street in front of the Coopers’ home at 635 E. University St. He had blood on his clothes and body. Police immediately detained Gutting and say he was carrying no weapon.

Officers found Marc Cooper’s body in the living room of his home. Nancy Cooper also was there.

Nancy Cooper told officers that a man with a large knife entered their home without permission through the back door about 7:30. She said the intruder chased Marc Cooper from back door through the kitchen and into the living room, stabbing him the entire time, until her husband was knocked to the ground.

Nancy Cooper told officers that the intruder knelt over her husband and stabbed him while telling her that “it was between him and Cooper. He did not want to kill her but he would if he had to. During this assault, (Nancy Cooper) was fighting with this man trying to stop him from killing Marc. (She) was cut several times during this altercation. At some point during the assault, (she) ran from the residence to call for help. (She) did not know the man who entered her home and stabbed Marc. She was able to identify Edward Gutting as the suspect when police arrived on scene,” the probable cause statement says.

One witness told police that she saw Gutting get out of a Mercedes Benz station wagon that was parked near the home prior to the homicide. Two other witnesses told police that they saw Gutting leave the home and walk through the front yard toward the station wagon. That’s when police arrived and arrested Gutting.

The probable cause statement does not indicate whether Gutting told detectives anything about his dispute with Marc Cooper. The charge of second-degree murder would indicate that police haven't found that Gutting killed Cooper "after deliberation upon the matter," which is a necessary element for first-degree murder under Missouri law.

Marc Cooper was an emeritus history professor at Missouri State University. Gutting is an instructor in classical languages. Missouri State says it is cooperating with police in the investigation. It placed Gutting on administrative leave after his arrest.

Police were called Wednesday evening when Nancy Cooper called 9-1-1 shortly after 7:30 and said an attack was happening in her home. One neighbor says Cooper came out of the house screaming.

Neighbors say Gutting surrendered to police. He sat handcuffed in the street as police investigated.

Neighbors say the Coopers have lived in this neighborhood for about 30 years. They describe them as some of the kindest people.

Edited statement from Missouri State University President Clif Smart, who has scheduled a news conference with reporters for 10 a.m. Friday:

The Missouri State University faculty and staff today are mourning the loss of Dr. Marc Cooper, emeritus history professor.

Edward Gutting, instructor of modern and classical languages, has been arrested in Cooper’s death. A news release from the Springfield Police Department provides more details on this incident. Missouri State University is cooperating fully in the police investigation.

Pending the outcome of this investigation, Gutting has been placed on administrative leave. There is no known threat to campus.

Marc Cooper was long-time member of history department

“During his nearly 35 years on faculty, Dr. Cooper was an active scholar, publishing several articles on the cuneiform tablets of ancient Iraq, and his teaching specialty area was in the history of the Ancient Near East,” said Dr. Victor Matthews, dean of the College of Humanities and Public Affairs.

Cooper received his PhD from the department of history at the University of Minnesota in 1979, then served in Missouri State’s history department from 1980 - 2014.

Cooper served as department head in history from 1997 - 2003. Over the course of his career, he was a visiting professor at Hebrew University in 1987 and a Fellow for Imagining America in 2010 - 11.

After retirement he continued to serve the university as the managing editor of the eJournal in Public Affairs. He was active in developing blended and online courses and in promoting engaged scholarship.

End of statement from Clif Smart

Detectives continue to investigate the death and ask anyone who has information about it to contact the Springfield Police Department at (417) 864-1810 or to make an anonymous call to Crime Stoppers at (417) 869-8477.

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