1 acquitted of murder in Sikeston shooting
SIKESTON, Mo. (KBSI) – A Scott County man was acquitted of all charges against him related to a deadly shooting at Rotary Park in Sikeston in April.
Tanner Watkins was acquitted on December 13. Watkins, 20, previously face charges of murder 1st degree, three counts of assault 1st degree, four counts of unlawful use of weapon and armed criminal action.
The case was heard in Reynolds County on a change of venue. In total, Watkins was acquitted of nine separate felony charges, including 1st degree murder, armed criminal action, 1st degree assault and unlawful use of a weapon.
He faced life without the possibility of parole if convicted.
The Sikeston Department of Public Safety investigated the deadly shooting.
Sgt. Tyler Rowe with the department says they received several reports of gunfire from Rotary the afternoon of April 25.
Officers responded to the park and determined a fight had broken out among several individuals resulting in the death of an 18-year-old man, and an 18-year-old woman suffering life-threatening injuries.
Kaleb M. Ramsey, 18, of Morehouse was also charged with murder 1st degree, three counts of assault 1st degree, four counts of unlawful use of weapon and armed criminal action.
The names of the victims were not released out of respect for the families, according to Sikeston DPS.
“The actions of Tanner Watkins that day to save his brother’s life were selfless and heroic, not criminal,” said Russ Oliver, attorney in Dexter, Missouri and Watkins’ defense attorney after the trial and acquittal.
“The evidence presented over the course of the week-long trial established that Tanner Watkins came to Rotary Park that day for a fist-fight. Instead, what Tanner and his brother Tyler drove into was an ambush. As Tanner entered the park, Tyler was in a separate vehicle driving behind him. Both vehicles were fired upon by Levi Morgan and K.M.. Levi Morgan was firing two separate weapons, an AR-15 style .300 blackout ARP and a .40 caliber Glock with a 30 round magazine. K.M. was firing a 9mm Walther handgun. Early in the course of the ambush, Tyler’s car was immobilized after being struck by a .40 caliber bullet fired by Levi Morgan. Tyler and his passenger were 100% unarmed and gunshot residue tests confirmed neither had fired a weapon that day. Tanner’s brother and his passenger were sitting ducks in the middle of the open park as the Morgan brothers continued to rain down dozens of bullets on their immobilized car. As Tanner was leaving the park after having been shot at by the Morgan brothers, he realized that his brother’s car was not moving and was still being shot at by the Morgan brothers. It was only at this point that Tanner stopped his vehicle, stood in the open park drawing the fire off his brother’s car and onto himself, and then returned fire (with a gun that was always in his vehicle) to save his brother’s life and the life of his brother’s passenger.”
“In addition, the evidence presented at trial failed to prove that Tanner actually shot either of the victims. It appeared from the evidence presented at trial that the victims were in fact inadvertently shot by the Morgan brothers as they wildly sprayed the park with bullets.”
Oliver continued:
“This case and the actions of Tanner Watkins that day was a clear lawful use of self-defense and defense of another. Anyone put in Tanner’s unfortunate position would have done whatever was necessary to save the life of his brother and his friend.”
The Sikeston DPS Criminal Investigations Unit investigated with the assistance of the SEMO Major Case Squad.
