Dwayne L. Bisch Jr., 39, of De Soto has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for allegedly stabbing a man during a fight at the Crystal City Tavern in February 2019, which resulted in the man’s death.
Keith Dozier of Festus, who was 34 at the time, was stabbed in the chest during the fight and died a short time later at Mercy Hospital Jefferson in Crystal City, according to court documents.
Bisch entered an Alford plea for second-degree murder tied to Dozier’s death. By entering an Alford plea, Bisch did not admit guilt but agreed there was sufficient evidence to find him guilty of the offense.
On Jan. 29, Jefferson County Div. 5 Circuit Judge Victor J. Melenbrink sentenced Bisch to 20 years in prison.
Jefferson County assistant prosecuting attorney Travis D. Partney handled the case.
Bisch, who was 38 at the time, started a fight at about 11:20 p.m. Feb. 28 the Crystal Tavern, 118 Mississippi Ave., with Dozier and another person. Bisch had a knife in his hand when the altercation started, and Bisch and Dozier fell against a table and then the wall, the probable-cause statement in the case said.
Two witnesses said they saw Bisch stab Dozier in the chest. Dozier died at 12:28 a.m. March 1 at the hospital, the report said.
In 2019, authorities told the Leader they didn’t know what the fight was about.
However, numerous witnesses told investigators that Bisch started the fight with Dozier, and then a 35-year-old Pevely man who was with Dozier tried to intervene, Crystal City Police Chief Chad Helms said.
“(The Pevely man) got between the suspect and the victim and got punched in the head and had minor injuries,” Helms said. “The victim and suspect then began to fight.”
After Dozier was stabbed, he was taken by Joachim-Plattin Ambulance to Mercy Hospital Jefferson in Crystal City, the report said.
Helms said the Pevely man was not transported for treatment of his injuries.