Cairo man found guilty of first-degree murder in fatal Halloween shooting

CAIRO, Ill., (KBSI) — Daurice T. Morse, 23, was found guilty of first-degree murder Thursday following a bench trial, Jackson County State’s Attorney Marsha L. Cascio-Hale announced.

Morse was accused of fatally shooting 18-year-old Jacob C. Gary of Cape Girardeau, Missouri, on Oct. 23, 2022, during an unofficial Halloween gathering in Carbondale.

Morse faces a sentence of 45 years to natural life in the Illinois Department of Corrections.