Murder suspect sentenced to 30 years on federal drug charges

One suspect in a local murder case was sentenced Thursday on federal drug charges.

Melvin Scherrer was sentenced in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to 30 years on several drug and firearms charges, including conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime and being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Scherrer also faces charges of first-degree murder, felonious restraint, abandonment of a corpse, armed criminal action and tampering with physical evidence in St. Francois County in the death of Cape Girardeau tattoo artist Samuel "Tick" Francis.

The murder case has been on hold while the federal case continued.

Francis' remains were found July 25, 2013, in a septic tank north of Bonne Terre, Missouri. He had been missing since December 2012.

Also charged in connection with Francis' death were Brent Bouren of St. Louis and Otto Plopper of French Village, Missouri.

Bouren was charged with second-degree murder, armed criminal action, felonious restraint, witness tampering and second-degree assault. He was convicted in January after pleading guilty to the assault and felonious restraint charges after the other, more serious charges were dropped by prosecutors. He was sentenced to two years on each count, with the sentences to run concurrently.

Plopper faces only one charge of felony abandonment of a corpse. His next court appearance on that charge is set for May 21.

In December, St. Francois County Prosecuting Attorney Jerrod Mahurin said once the federal case was over, Scherrer could be in court in St. Francois County within a few weeks. Scherrer's next scheduled court appearance is for a preliminary hearing April 21. A trial date has yet to be set.

kwebster@semissourian.com

388-3646

Pertinent address:

St. Louis, MO

St. Francois County, MO