Constable William J. Mooneyhan was shot and killed at his own home while protecting a prisoner.

Constable Mooneyhan obtained a warrant for the arrest of a self-styled preacher, D.M. Malone, for living with a woman who wasn't his wife. Reports detailed that the reverend, the leader of a group calling themselves the Sanctified, had tied his handicapped wife to a bed when she objected to his bringing in another younger woman to live with them and sent her to jail claiming she was insane. Neighbors were incensed by the incident and had gone to the minister's house prompting the constable to take action. The suspect resisted the original attempt to arrest on the warrant declaring that he would not be taken alive. Constable Mooneyhan returned with 18 deputies and took him into custody after the suspects home was set ablaze after the minister held the posse at bay in a stand-off. Constable Mooneyhan took the preacher to his own home for safekeeping because it was too late to move him to the county jail.

On May 3, 1903, there were ten persons in the Mooneyhan residence including Constable Mooneyhan, his wife and baby; Lon Thomas, his wife and baby; J.W. Winters and Bud Creecy sleeping in an adjacent room and the two prisoners, Preacher D.M. Malone and his companion Mary Friel. As the constable and the others sat resting in the sitting room the minister predicted repeatedly said to the officers guarding him that he was going to be lynched before morning. At midnight the sound of footsteps was heard and a masked group appeared at the Mooneyhan home. Constable Mooneyhan declared that he was an officer of the law and he would die to protect the people. He was immediately shot and killed by one of about eight masked men. Constable Mooneyhan was struck by a bullet that entered just below his left eye. The men then seized the minister as he attempted to escape with Mary Friel and fired 12 to 15 shots into his body. They men then dragged the minister's body to the banks of the Little River located about 100 yards in front of the house. Mary Friel fled the residence and survived by hiding overnight in an apple tree.

A number of suspects were jailed for murder in the lynching. During the suspects incarceration they were poisoned with Paris Green insecticide, making them sick and causing one death. This caused great concern with the officials that the prisoners had been intentionally poisoned. Pursuant an investigation of the poisoning, it was considered possible that the vegetables fed to the prisoners may have been unintentionally tainted with Paris Green insecticide, commonly used seasonally in that era.

During their subsequent trial, suspect Ruff Nicholas, was acquitted and charges were dismissed against the remaining prisoners due to a lack of evidence.

Two more suspects were subsequently arrested by the Pemiscot sheriff for the murder. On December 23, 1904, Shorty Adams and Ed Chitty were convicted of complicity in the murder of Constable Mooneyhan and sentenced to fifteen years in prison.

Constable Mooneyhan was interred in a family cemetery in Little River Township, Pemiscot County.