Murder trial moves back to Cape Girardeau County from St. Louis

A Cape Girardeau County murder case set to begin in St. Louis County in November has been transferred back to Jackson, where a jury of Southeast Missouri residents will hear the case.

St. Louis County Circuit Judge Robert S. Cohen granted the change of venue Wednesday after a request from public defender Jennifer Booth, who's representing Sikeston, Mo., native Tambra Turner, accused in the February 2008 murder of Chabreshea Egson.

Turner's cases was originally transferred to St. Louis County last summer, despite an objection from Cape Girardeau County Prosecuting Attorney Morley Swingle.

Turner is accused of breaking into Egson's home and shooting her, and is charged with first-degree murder, armed criminal action, property damage and burglary.

Court documents filed in the case say police identified Turner as a suspect partially based on her vehicle being placed at the scene at the time of the murder. After more than a year on the run, Turner was arrested in Chicago in June 2009 after a tip surfaced from someone who had seen her story on "America's Most Wanted."

In her motion, Booth said having the trial in St. Louis County may jeopardize the defense's ability to call critical witnesses because of distance and travel costs.

Swingle had no objections to Booth's request, saying he's still prepared to proceed with trial in November. Almost all of the state's witnesses are in Cape Girardeau County, according to the motion.

Cape Girardeau County Circuit Judge William L. Syler will preside over the case.

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