Defense seeks to suppress statements, identification in fatal shooting of SEMO student

The attorney for an Illinois man charged with murder in the 2015 fatal shooting of a Southeast Missouri State University student in St. Louis wants a judge to suppress statements her client made to law-enforcement officers.

The attorney also has asked a judge to suppress two witnesses’ identification of the alleged shooter. The case is scheduled to go to trial Monday in St. Louis.

Attorney Mary Fox filed the motions in the circuit court of St. Louis city earlier this week on behalf of defendant Christopher Grant.

Grant, 21, of Collinsville, Illinois, was charged in connection with the fatal shooting of Southeast sophomore Robert Christman III, 19, during a Jan. 11, 2015, failed robbery attempt in downtown St. Louis.

A grand jury indicted Grant on charges of first-degree murder, attempted robbery, unlawful use of a weapon and two counts of armed criminal action, according to court records.

The motion seeks to suppress statements made by Grant to St. Louis city police detectives and detectives with the Illinois State Police.

Grant was arrested Feb. 2, 2015, in Illinois on unrelated charges, according to the court document.

Fox argued in one motion that waiver of Miranda rights must not only be voluntary, but “constitute a knowing and intelligent relinquishment or abandonment of a known right or privilege.”

According to the motion, “There is no evidence that the defendant understood that any statement he made could be used against him to secure a conviction for the robbery and murder charges in this case.”

Fox said, “Once the officers made it clear that they were attempting to charge and convict him of those charges he exercised his rights.”

In a second motion, the defense called for suppression of any identification of Grant made by witnesses Sean Christman and Jennifer Kuta.

According to a probable-cause statement, Robert Christman III and his brother and girlfriend were sitting in a parked car when they were confronted by Grant.

In the second motion, Fox wrote surveillance video indicates the witnesses’ “opportunity to observe the suspect was during the night and was for less than 12 seconds.”

Fox said, “Both witnesses indicated that they were able to only see a portion of the face of the suspect in that he had a hoodie on with the hood up.”

The defense questioned the reliability of Sean Christman’s identification of Grant in a physical lineup and Kuta’s identification of the defendant in a photo lineup.

According to Fox, the three other participants in the lineup were older than Grant and “significantly taller.’”

Grant also was not informed of his right to have an attorney present at the physical lineup, Fox said.

mbliss@semissourian.com

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