Two Missouri women are facing second-degree murder charges after allegedly lying to police about the whereabouts of a man hiding inside their home — a deception that ended in a deadly shooting.

Patty Armour, 51, and Lois Armour, 78, were charged this week after authorities say their false statements led officers into a dangerous standoff that left one person dead. Both women were initially arrested on felony hindering prosecution charges but now face upgraded counts of felony murder, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

The chain of events began on October 12, when officers from multiple agencies arrived at a home in Paris, Missouri, while investigating a murder case out of neighboring Ralls County. According to probable cause statements reviewed by Law & Crime, Patty and Lois Armour met investigators at the door and allowed them inside.

But when asked about 57-year-old Charles Armour — a person of interest in the homicide investigation — both women told officers he wasn’t there.
That was a lie, police say.

Authorities allege that Charles Armour was hiding in the master bathroom, armed with a handgun, as officers searched the home. What happened next remains under investigation, but officials confirmed that the encounter ended with a fatal shooting. Law enforcement has not yet clarified who was killed — whether it was Armour himself or another person involved in the confrontation — but prosecutors maintain that the women’s deceit directly contributed to the death.

Under Missouri law, someone can be charged with second-degree felony murder if their actions lead to another person’s death, even if they didn’t intend to kill. In this case, prosecutors argue that Patty and Lois Armour’s deliberate misdirection set into motion a chain of events that proved fatal.
The women were initially booked into jail on hindering prosecution charges, with bond amounts set at $50,000 and later raised to $100,000. With the new murder charges, both are being held without bond. They are scheduled to appear in Monroe County court on Wednesday.

Authorities haven’t confirmed how, or if, the women are related to Charles Armour. But the shared last name has fueled speculation that the case may involve family ties — a possibility that adds another layer of tragedy to a story already defined by violence and mistrust.