Cape man faces murder charge in shooting of 1-year-old girl

A 29-year-old Cape Girardeau man has been charged with second-degree murder in the shooting death Monday of a 1-year-old girl.

Isaac Egbuka

Isaac D. Egbuka also was charged with first-degree domestic assault and two counts of armed criminal action in connection with the incident, according to police.

The victim was identified as Jamariel Lanique Tanksley, police said

The incident occurred at 50 Green Acres Drive, where Egbuka and his sister, Kimberly, lived, according to a probable-cause statement.

Police were called to the scene at 2:09 a.m. When officers arrived, they found the baby had suffered a gunshot wound to the head.

The child was transported to Saint Francis Medical Center where doctors were unable to save her. She was pronounced dead at 3:31 a.m., police said.

Emergency personnel respond to a shooting early Monday on Green Acres Drive in Cape Girardeau.Ben Matthews ~ Southeast Missourian

Kimberly Egbuka told police her brother �had been drinking all night and was intoxicated,� according to a probable-cause statement.

She said she was babysitting the child for a friend, police detective Darren Estes said in the statement.

Kimberly said Isaac and an unknown woman were in Isaac�s bedroom and �were being very loud,� according to the statement.

Emergency personnel respond to a shooting early Mondayon Green Acres Drive in Cape Girardeau.Ben Matthews ~ Southeast Missourian

Kimberly said she eventually told the couple they needed to be quiet so as not to wake the baby.

After the woman left, Kimberly asked her mother, Regina Moore, to come over and help deal with an intoxicated Isaac, according to the statement.

After Moore arrived, Kimberly said she was in her bedroom with the light off when her brother came into the room, turned on the light and woke up the baby.

�Kimberly stated she didn�t want to deal with Isaac and just wanted to get the baby back to sleep,� Estes wrote.

According to the statement, Kimberly took the child to a back bedroom in the house and sat on the floor rocking the baby.

�While Kimberly was there, Issac came into the room and they got into an argument,� according to the statement.

�Isaac pushed Kimberly over, head first, on the treadmill,� Estes said.

Kimberly said she was still holding the baby and landed on top of the child, Estes said in the statement. Isaac then �got on top of them,� according to the statement

�Kimberly said, as she was getting up and still on her knees, she heard a gunshot and looked down and saw Isaac had shot the baby in the head. A moment later she heard another gunshot,� Estes wrote.

Estes said that Kimberly believed her brother was trying to kill her.

After the baby was shot, Moore took the gun from Isaac and hid it, according to the statement. Officers later recovered the gun outside the home.

Cape Girardeau County Prosecuting Attorney Chris Limbaugh said Egbuka was taken into custody.

Circuit Judge Benjamin Lewis ordered Egbuka be held on $750,000 cash only bond.

mbliss@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3641

Pertinent address:

50 Green Acres Drive, Cape Girardeau, Mo.