JOPLIN, Mo. — A man from Billings received a life sentence after being found guilty of murder in a shooting near Aurora in 2025.
A judge sentenced Austin Stone to life without parole for first-degree murder, life in prison for the unlawful use of a weapon, 15 years for armed criminal action and 10 years for unlawful possession of a firearm. All counts run consecutively, according to court records.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Billings man found guilty in fatal Aurora shooting
The probable cause statement says that on March 30, 2025, Lawrence County deputies located a man with a fatal gunshot wound to the chest at a residence on Farm Road 2240.
Witnesses told law enforcement that the victim’s vehicle was stopped in a ditch and Stone pulled up next to him. The victim got out of his car and walked towards Stone when he shot the victim and drove off…