On July 4, 2003, James Pruitt was tragically murdered. The following year, his ex-girlfriend Lucille Duncan was convicted of this crime and received a life sentence without the possibility of parole, despite not pleading guilty. Her brother, Gerald Duncan, who did plead guilty, was sentenced to life in prison, with a chance for parole after 25 years.
At the time of the murder, Lucille Duncan’s 14-year-old son served as a witness. He received a sentence of seven years of probation after pleading guilty to evidence tampering related to the murder of James Pruitt and for assisting with the investigation.
Lucille Duncan will appear in Snapped: Behind Bars season 2, episode 4, scheduled to air on Oxygen on September 22, 2024. In this episode, titled “Lucille Duncan,” she will share her perspective on the murder case, emphasizing her claim of innocence despite her life sentence. The episode synopsis states:
“After spending 20 years in prison for a crime in which she claims no involvement, Lucille Duncan breaks her silence for the first time. She details the harrowing events that led to the shooting of her ex-boyfriend and her hopes of freedom.”
James Pruitt was shot in the head from behind and 4 other crucial details surrounding his murder
1) James Pruitt was shot in the back of the head
James Pruitt, 44 years old, was shot in the back of the head while sitting in the front passenger seat of a car driven by his ex-girlfriend Lucille Duncan. The shooter, Gerald Duncan (Lucille’s brother), was in the backseat and fired the fatal shot.
According to Oxygen True Crime, Gerald shot James impulsively.
2) The body was discovered one day later
The body of James Pruitt was hidden by the murderer. As reported by Oxygen True Crime, James’s remains were found on July 5, 2003, a day after his murder, wrapped in a blanket in a forest near Gleason Road in Boone County.
3) A fourteen-year-old was a witness to this homicide
Lucille Duncan’s 14-year-old son, Jeremiah, was present during the incident, sitting in the backseat of the car next to his uncle, Gerald. Reportedly, Gerald fired the shot in a fit of rage.
During a prior interview, Gerald mentioned to Snapped that he liked to carry a gun for “protection.”
4) Lucille Duncan was charged with first-degree murder
Following the investigation into James Pruitt’s death, Gerald Duncan pled guilty to second-degree murder, resulting in a life sentence with the possibility of parole after 25 years. Conversely, Lucille Duncan was charged with first-degree murder and sentenced to life without parole despite her not pleading guilty. Her conviction was greatly influenced by her son Jeremiah’s initial testimony, where he claimed that Lucille and Gerald had premeditated the crime. Jeremiah later recanted his statement, alleging coercion.
5) Jeremiah changed his confession statement after 3 years
In 2007, Jeremiah retracted his testimony against Lucille, stating that his original confession was made under duress. He explained that he felt threatened with potential imprisonment if he did not testify against his mother and uncle. In a later affidavit, he expressed:
“I was 14 and scared. I was told that the authorities knew what the truth was and I didn’t have any way of knowing any different because I just didn’t remember the details they said were fact. I’ve been off the meds for over a year and still have big memory gaps. I’m sure as I can be there was no plan to shoot Jim…”
Lucille’s mother supports her daughter’s claims of innocence, emphasizing the lack of premeditation. She shared with Columbia Missourian that:
“If you planned to do it, why would you bring your child with you…It just doesn’t make sense…”
To learn more about this captivating case, tune in to season 2, episode 4 of Snapped: Behind Bars on Oxygen.
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