Missouri father killed at bar after argument over German shepherd's weight

FLORISSANT, Missouri -- Witnesses say a discussion at lunch over the size of a German shepherd ended with a father of four being shot to death.

Family members said the murder of Scott Beary, 43, comes only days after he and his wife buried their daughter, who was born prematurely at 22 weeks.

Now his widow is making funeral arrangements for the second time in a month.

Colleagues told KTVI-TV that Beary and a co-worker stopped at a bar for some lunch while waiting for a work truck to get fixed.

Beary, described as being very personable and "the greatest guy," got himself into a conversation with another bar patron during the meal.

Witnesses told police the trouble began when a man claimed his German shepherd weighed 290 pounds, a figure Beary apparently found hard to believe.

According to KTVI-TV, Beary said he couldn't see how a dog could weigh nearly as much as he did.

As Beary was leaving, the dog owner's friend allegedly called him "a fat (expletive)." When Beary turned to confront the man, asking why he would call him a name, gunshots rang out.

"A guy yelled something horrible and mean and Scott turned around and [Scott's coworker] said next thing you know, he heard four pops," said Jeana Sellenschuetter, Beary's boss at CSM Construction.

A 54-year-old man was booked on suspicion of second-degree murder at the bar. His name has not been released.

Now Beary's widow is planning his funeral after losing a baby, two tragedies in a single month.

Jocelyn Beary was born at 14 ounces and lived for 11 days. She was buried on Friday.

Sellenschuetter said she wonders whether the man accused in his killing would have pulled the trigger if he had known about the situation back home.

A GoFundMe page has been set up in memory of both Beary and his late daughter Jocelyn.