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UPDATE AT BOTTOM:

A search warrant was served at an Ozark car dealership today where a co-owner of the business was found shot to death.

An employee of 56-year-old Rufus Church found him dead inside the body shop/garage bay area at Ozark Dodge about 6:30 a.m. yesterday (03-23-09) with a gunshot wound to the chest.

The business was closed yesterday and again today as investigators collected evidence for clues in Church's death.

Investigators combed the entire building, outbuildings and vehicles according to court records.

The search warrant says that detectives found broken glass inside the dealership.

Detectives collected blood, hair, guns, shell casings, cell phones, computers and other documents for leads in the case.

Ozark police chief Lyle Hodges says that they are treating Church's death as a homicide, but haven't ruled out suicide.

The Christian County Sheriff’s Department and Missouri State Highway Patrol are assisting the Ozark Police Department with the investigation.

UPDATE (03-25-09):

Detectives are still piecing together clues in the shooting death of Ozark Dodge co-owner Rufus Church.

Church was discovered in the garage/bay area of the business by a worker at the dealership about 6:30 a.m. on Monday (03-23-09) with a shotgun wound to the chest.

A search warrant served at the dealership yesterday (03-24-09) says that detectives found broken glass inside the dealership.

Detectives also searched vehicles on the lot for clues in addition to collecting blood, hair, guns, shell casings, cell phones, computers and other documents for leads in the case.

An insider says that, "it is very unlikely that the shotgun blast that killed Church was self-inflicted."

The dealership, which sits on the north side of CC, just west of Highway 65 in Ozark is in the process of trying to liquidate all their inventory, but has not declared bankruptcy.

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