Edward M. Gutting (at right, in photo from Greene County Prison) was apprehended at the Coopers’ home and is now in jail.
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Lt. Mike Lucas with the Springfield Police Department said officers were dispatched to the 600 block of East University Street at about 7:45 p.m. after a woman made a frantic 911 call.
Another Missouri State professor is being held on suspicion of second-degree murder, but formal charges had not been filed Thursday.
His wife, Nancy Cooper, 67, received non-life-threatening stab wounds, according to Springfield Police Department. Missouri State says it is cooperating with police in the investigation.
Neighbors tell us the Coopers have lived in this neighborhood for about 30 years.
Missouri State issued a statement saying Cooper was an emeriti history professor, and Gutting is an instructor of modern and classical languages.
According to MSU, Cooper had served almost 35 years on faculty, from 1980-2014. The university placed him on administrative leave after his arrest.
It went on to say Cooper served as department head in history from 1997-2003. Gutting was scheduled to teach Classical Mythology, Greek Civilization and Elementary Latin I for the fall semester.
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After retirement he continued to serve the university as the managing editor of the eJournal in Public Affairs.
