CONVICTED KILLER DIES AT MISSOURI MENTAL HOSPITAL

FULTON -- A Cape Girardeau County man, who was convicted in May of first-degree murder, has died of head injuries he received in an incident at the state mental hospital in Fulton.

Kenneth Wayne Stone, 32, was pronounced dead of head trauma Tuesday night at University Hospital in Columbia, said John Fougere, public information officer for the Missouri Department of Corrections.

Stone, who was convicted of murder and armed criminal action in the death of Daniel L. Farrow, was serving a life sentence at the Potosi Correctional Center. On Nov. 3, he was admitted to Biggs Corrections Treatment Unit, a part of the Fulton State Hospital, Fougere said.

Although the incident remains under investigation by the departments of corrections and mental health, Steve Reeves, superintendent of Fulton State Hospital, said Wednesday that Stone's death resulted from an incident that occurred in the hospital's gymnasium early Tuesday afternoon.

Preliminary reports indicated that Stone had been climbing on a rope when he fell and struck his head, Fougere said.

Emergency medical personnel transported Stone to Calloway Community Hospital in Fulton and then to University Hospital where he died at 7:40 p.m. Tuesday.

Bob Bax, public affairs spokesman for the Missouri Department of Mental Health, would not speculate on what happened until the investigations have been completed.

A Cape Girardeau County jury found Stone guilty of killing Farrow on May 25, 1996, at Farrow's mobile home in Oriole. The jury recommended that Stone receive a life sentence without the possibility of parole for both first-degree murder and armed criminal action.

Stone's grandmother, Thelma Stone of Chaffee, said Wednesday that she doesn't believe her grandson was guilty.

"A known criminal and felon was given immunity to testify against him, and why the jury believed him, God only knows," she said, referring to Robert Hobbs, the prosecution's chief witness.

Stone called her grandson "a good boy" and "a very loving member of our family."

"There's no way I can tell you how grievous this is to our family," she said.

Testimony during the trial revealed that Farrow had given Stone a place to stay for several days prior to the day Farrow was shot. Cape Girardeau County Prosecuting Attorney Morley Swingle told the jury that all of the evidence pointed to Stone, including DNA and fingerprints that placed Stone at the mobile home. Gunshot residue was also found on Stone's hands after he was arrested.

No obvious motive had been shown for the murder, but Swingle told the jury that it was not the prosecution's job to show motive, just that the defendant had committed the crime.

Funeral services for Stone are scheduled for Saturday in Chaffee.