Taney County Prosecutor William Duston Dies

William Duston, Taney County Prosecuting Attorney for the past four years has died.

The statement released on the office's Facebook Page is below:

It is with extremely heavy hearts that we share the news of the passing of Prosecuting Attorney William “Dub” Duston on May 17, 2023.
Mr. Duston served the citizens of Taney County with passion and dedication. This is truly a devastating loss for our office and the county as a whole.
He is survived by his loving wife and two beautiful children. At this time, arrangements have not yet been made.

According to the Branson Tri-Lakes News, Duston, 49, passed away after a battle with cancer.

Duston was electing Prosecuting Attorney in 2018 and was just reelected to a second term last November. Prior to that, Duston served 12 years as the Branson City Attorney. 

Duston grew up in Branson and was tied to one of the most shocking days in city's history in December of 1991. Duston was the lone survivor when his mother shot him, his two sisters, and his father before turning the gun on herself. His mother had also been battling cancer at the time she took her own life and the lives of the other family members. 

After William Duston recovered, he eventually graduated from Branson High School and pursued his law degree which eventually brought him back to the Tri-Lakes Region. 

According to Missouri State Law, the Governor is designated to appoint a successor to assume the Prosecuting Attorney's position until the next General Election in 2024 when a person will be elected to finish out the remaining two years of Duston's term. 

(The Branson Tri-Lakes News contributed information for this story)