Cape man pleads guilty to Wayne County murder

STEELVILLE, Mo. — A Cape Girardeau man pre-empted his upcoming murder trial by pleading guilty Monday to a lesser charge in connection with the 2015 shooting death of a man.

Having earlier been granted a change of venue from Wayne County, Michael D. Burkman pleaded guilty to felony second-degree murder before Circuit Judge Kelly Parker in Crawford County, according to Casenet.

The 51-year-old entered his plea after the state filed amended information Friday afternoon, charging him with the lesser murder charge and felony of armed criminal action.

The amended information accused Burkman of intentionally shooting and killing John Fowler on Feb. 1, 2015.

Fowler of St. Peters, Missouri, had been staying at the Heaven’s Hope Campground in the Hiram, Missouri, area. He was found dead on a county road near the private campground.

In February 2015, Burkman had been staying in the Lowndes, Missouri, area and reportedly was involved in an ongoing altercation with Fowler. Burkman allegedly threatened to kill Fowler and later told three people he had killed him.

Parker sentenced him to life in prison.

The punishment range for a Class A felony is 10 to 30 years in prison or life, which is computed at 30.

With his plea, the state dismissed the armed criminal action charge.

Burkman originally was charged with felony first-degree murder and felony armed criminal action in connection with Fowler’s death.

He was supposed to stand trial July 8 to 12 on the charges.

Burkman is the last of three to be convicted in connection to Fowler’s death.

In September 2017, Steven E. Jennewein of Greenville, Missouri, pleaded guilty to felony involuntary manslaughter. The now 38-year-old was sentenced to seven years in prison.

“Mr. Jennewein had the least involvement in the homicide,” then-Wayne County Prosecuting Attorney Michael Jackson said at the time.

“He was asked to make a phone call to get the victim to a certain place at a certain time,” Jackson said. “The victim was then shot from ambush by someone else.”

After Jennewein contacted Fowler by phone to make arrangements for a narcotics transaction, according to earlier reports, Fowler was shot multiple times by Burkman.

Brandon Norman, 29, of Lowndes pleaded guilty in June 2016 to felony second-degree murder.

At the time of his plea, Norman was not sentenced as he was cooperating with authorities. His sentencing is set for May 28 in Wayne County before Parker.

At sentencing, Norman faces a punishment range of a minimum of 10 years in prison to a maximum of 30 or life, which is calculated at 30 years.

Norman allegedly provided Burkman with transportation the day of the murder by dropping him off in a wooded area near the paved highway and returning later to pick Burkman up.