Case against man accused of murdering tattoo artist continued

FARMINGTON, Mo. -- One of the men accused of murdering a Cape Girardeau tattoo artist had his case continued Tuesday while his attorneys address federal drug charges against him.

Brent Bouren, 42, of St. Louis faces state charges of second-degree murder, armed criminal action, witness tampering, second-degree assault and felonious restraint in connection with the death of Samuel Francis, whose body was found July 25 in a septic tank near Bonne Terre, Mo.

Francis had been missing since December.

Bouren was scheduled for a preliminary hearing on the state charges Tuesday in St. Francois County circuit court, but Prosecuting Attorney Jerrod Mahurin said the case was continued to Jan. 14 to give Bouren and his attorneys time to work out issues related to the federal case against him.

"He's trying to work that out along with our case as well," Mahurin said.

The day before authorities found Francis' body, federal agents searched property near Bonne Terre and arrested the owner, Melvin Scherrer, 49, as part of a drug trafficking investigation that eventually yielded charges against 25 suspects, including Bouren.

After the discovery of Francis' body, St. Francois County prosecutors charged Scherrer with first-degree murder, armed criminal action, felonious restraint, abandonment of a corpse and tampering with physical evidence.

Another man, Otto Plopper, 43, of French Village, Mo., faces a charge of felony abandonment of a corpse in connection with Francis' death.

Federal prosecutors charged Bouren with distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, conspiracy to distribute cocaine, possession of firearms by a felon and possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

It was in Bouren's best interests to move the federal case forward before proceeding with the murder case, Mahurin said.

An evidentiary hearing in the federal case is set for Dec. 11.

Online court records show attorney Daniel Allan Juengel of St. Louis is representing Bouren on the state charges, and attorney Gary Lauber, also of St. Louis, is representing Bouren on the federal charges.

epriddy@semissourian.com

388-3642

Pertinent address:

Farmington, MO

Bonne Terre, MO