During the early morning hours of August 15, 2025, the Douglas County 911 received a call in the 400 block of Bunch Avenue in the City limits of Ava regarding a knife fight with a possible death.
Ava PD officers arrived on the scene, where they took a male subject covered in blood into custody. Upon entering the residence, they located a male subject who was obviously deceased.
Sheriff Degase and Douglas County Deputies assisted the Ava PD with processing the scene and collecting evidence. Sheriff Degase interviewed the male suspect, Aaron Vaughn age 54, of Ava. Vaughn admitted to a fist fight with the decedent Dale Swanson, age 48 of Springfield, but denied stabbing him. Vaughn stated he and Swanson were the only people in the room and could not explain why he was covered in blood.
APD Officer Williams applied for and received an arrest warrant for Vaughn for Murder 1st Degree, Armed Criminal Action and Resisting arrest. Vaughn is being held without bond.
Sheriff Degase stated, “We regret that this happened in our community; however, Chief Overcast and I are committed to providing the best possible service to the Citizens of Ava and Douglas County. The cooperative efforts by everyone involved in this case resulted in the arrest and charging of the suspect for murder.”
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