Bootheel man charged in 2011 murder has trial continued to next year

The trial for a man charged with murder and kidnapping has been continued to August.

At a hearing Wednesday, attorneys for Shawn Morgan filed a motion for a continuance of a planned Nov. 14 trial date. Morgan is charged with kidnapping and murdering a 3-year-old Senath, Mo., girl in August 2011.

Prosecuting Attorney Stephen Sokoloff said he agreed with the request as a result of the disclosure by the defense of several medical expert witnesses in the last three weeks.

In addition, the state's requested order from Judge Stephen Sharp that Morgan be evaluated by a state-selected psychologist was granted over defense objections. Morgan will be evaluated later this month at the state mental health facility at Farmington, Mo. The evaluation was sought after the defense said it would offer evidence Morgan was suffering from a mental condition that impaired his abilities at the time of the offense.

Because the psychologist could not conduct his evaluation and have time to prepare a report before the November trial date, the continuance was granted. Jury selection is set to begin Aug. 14 in Phelps County, and the trial will start Aug. 18 in Kennett, Mo.

In response to a question about the length of time the trial was taking, Sokoloff said, "Three years is not out of the ordinary for a capital case, but it's too long for BreeAnn's family to have to wait to get the matter resolved."

The state alleges Morgan suffocated the girl with a plastic bag and then threw her and her bicycle in the floodway ditches, where her remains were found after a 10-day search.