Cape Girardeau County goes a year without a murder

Tuesday marked one year since the last murder in Cape Girardeau County.

The number of murder cases filed by the Cape Girardeau County Prosecutor's Office have decreased slightly over the last several years, according to Cape Girardeau County Prosecuting Attorney Mark Welker.

The average number of filings over the last decade has been around six per year.

On a national level, homicide rates have risen slightly over the last couple of years.

According to data released in March by the FBI, the U.S.'s homicide rate rose an estimated 25% in 2020.

Missouri's rate of homicide offenses nearly doubled the national average in 2019 -- the most recent year with available data for the state. According to FBI statistics, the state had 9.3 murders per 100,000 people. The U.S. averaged five murders per 100,000 people.

The last murder in Cape Girardeau County occurred July 20, 2020, at an apartment building in the 400 block of Sheridan Drive. Five men were arrested in connection to the killing of 21-year-old Anthony Miller.

Miller was transported to a hospital after members of the Cape Girardeau Police Department received a report of a subject shot at approximately 12:30 a.m. He was later pronounced dead at the hospital, according to previous reporting by the Southeast Missourian.

The five men affiliated with the murder include Clarence Smith, 29; Jaden Young, 20; Robert Simmons, 41; Brandon Pratt, 32; and Derrick Stafford, 21.

All were charged with second-degree murder, among other charges.

"I think it is important to give law enforcement credit for continuing their efforts for community-based policing, broadening their partnerships and tirelessly working when the odds are against them," Welker said. "Now more than ever is the time to show law enforcement that we support them and our community will only benefit from this support."

Cape Girardeau police Sgt. Joey Hann said the ultimate goal is to eliminate any and all homicides within the city and not rest on a milestone.

"Our department is very proactive, and we constantly review criminal trends and activity in high-crime areas so we can focus our manpower and resources accordingly to deter violent crimes," Hann said.

When asked whether the pandemic could've helped lead to the decrease in murders, Hann said the department did not see a major spike in any specific crimes since the pandemic began.

"One major concern for our department was that domestic abuse would increase, as so much of the population was remaining indoors for prolonged periods of time," Hann said. "But we partnered well with our local safe house and other domestic resources and we monitored that situation closely."