Scott City teen pleads guilty to reduced charges in Kelso, Mo., man's death

A Scott City teenager pleaded guilty Monday to a reduced charge of second-degree involuntary manslaughter in the 2007 death of Stan Hagan.

Marcus Bowers, 19, of Scott City originally faced charges of first-degree murder, but the charge was reduced in exchange for the plea. He also pleaded guilty to armed criminal action in the Hagan case, plus a count of child molestation stemming from an unrelated incident.

Hagan, of Kelso, Mo., died in September, five days after an altercation with Bowers in Scott City.

Police alleged Bowers slammed Hagan's head onto a mobile home tie-down spike, causing injuries that eventually killed him.

Hagan's death was reported as an accident, but authorities quietly investigated the incident throughout the fall and winter, arresting Bowers in January after a grand jury indicted him for the charges. Bowers was already incarcerated in the Scott County Jail awaiting court in the child molestation case.

Both of Bowers' cases were moved to Butler County on a change of venue, and Bowers was slated to stand trial later this month.

A sentencing date has not been set, according to the Butler County circuit clerk, because Circuit Judge Mark Richardson agreed to a sentencing assessment report.

bdicosmo@semissourian.com

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