Police file charges in shooting

Tambra T. Turner, 29, of Sikeston, Mo., was charged Saturday with first-degree murder, armed criminal action and burglary in connection with the shooting death of Chabreshea R. Egson.

Egson was shot and killed early Friday morning at the 1523 N. Spanish St. residence where she lived.

According to a probable-cause statement written and signed by Lt. David James, commander of the Cape Girardeau-Bollinger County Major Case Squad, Turner was the estranged wife of Lloyd Gilmore, and allegedly killed Egson out of romantic rivalry. Gilmore was at the residence when police responded to the shooting around 5:20 a.m. Friday.

During the investigation, a witness informed police that Turner said the day before the shooting she had "caught Lloyd with another girl and she felt like killing her," the sworn statement said. Turner allegedly said she knew the woman's identity because the woman had written to Gilmore while he was in jail. The witness said Turner drove away in her blue Mustang after the conversation.

Another witness said a woman approached them in a blue Mustang on Friday and asked for directions to the 1500 block of North Spanish Street. The witness said they were familiar enough with the neighborhood and offered to lead the female to the area, and directed her to the block where Egson lived.

Someone else observed a blue Mustang drive slowly up and down the street and stop in front of the Egson residence.

That night around 9 p.m., police were called to 1523 N. Spanish St. to take a property damage and trespassing report. There, they determined Turner knocked on the door looking for Egson and used a large tree limb to break three windows at the house.

Turner allegedly fled the scene before police arrived, but police traced her to a vehicle registered in her name: a blue 2000 Ford Mustang with the Missouri plate 836-ZTM.

The same witness who said Turner "felt like killing" her husband's lover, spoke with Turner again Friday, less than two hours after Egson was killed.

This time, the witness said Turner confessed she had gone to the girl's house and fired a gun while Gilmore attempted to push her back, so she didn't know whether she hit anything. The witness noted Turner's Mustang had suffered damage to its front end, and the woman sported an injury near her left eye. Turner allegedly said she wrecked her car on the ice.

Gilmore told police that the shooter entered the house without permission before the shooting.

Responding officers found Egson facedown on the bed and unconscious but still alive. She was rushed to the hospital but later pronounced dead by Cape Girardeau County coroner John Clifton.

An autopsy showed Egson died of a single gunshot wound.

Two people present when the fatal shot was fired said the crime was committed with a handgun, and one witness identified the shooter as the woman they saw eight hours earlier.

On Friday, a warrant on the property damage was issued for Turner, and she failed to turn herself in.

Police located Turner's blue Mustang in Sikeston. They believe the damage to the car occurred as she was fleeing the scene after allegedly shooting Egson, and are continuing a search for the missing front bumper of the vehicle.

Bond for Turner was set at $1 million cash only.

Turner is not in custody and should be considered armed and dangerous. Anyone with information leading to her whereabouts is urged to call 335-6621 immediately and may be eligible for a reward if Turner is arrested.

bdicosmo@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 245