Poplar Bluff man pleads guilty to drug debt murder

A Poplar Bluff man pleaded guilty Monday morning in Cape Girardeau County to the July shooting death of another man, who was killed over what authorities believe was an apparent drug debt.

Calvin Lee "CC" Smith Jr., 33, of the 2200 block of Grand Avenue pleaded guilty as charged to the Class A felony of second-degree murder before Presiding Circuit Judge William Syler, according to Butler County Prosecuting Attorney Kevin Barbour.

Smith pleaded guilty in connection with the death of John Lee Griffin, 54, of the 300 block of County Road 314. Griffin was shot during a robbery attempt.

Griffin's body was found July 12 in an outhouse behind an unoccupied residence in the 400 block of County Road 614. Authorities believe Griffin had been dead since July 3, and he died of a gunshot wound to the head.

Smith entered an "open plea," said Barbour, who agreed to cap the sentence at 25 years. The punishment range for a Class A felony is 10 to 30 years in the Missouri Department of Corrections or life, which is computed at 30.

"Twenty-five is the most he can get unless the judge thinks he needs more than that," Barbour said. " ... He'll have to do 85 percent" of whatever sentence Syler imposes.

After accepting Smith's plea, Barbour said, Syler ordered a sentencing assessment report be completed by Probation and Parole and set sentencing for July 20.

Barbour said he made the offer "based on the statement (Smith) made," as the charge was filed.

The charge was "consistent with the statement he made," Barbour said.

Smith, he said, told officers he "went out there to rob him" and Griffin was shot during the robbery, making the crime "felony murder."

"Absent any valid evidence to the contrary, that's what the jury would have convicted him of," Barbour said.

Authorities learned of Griffin's death when a concerned citizen reported overhearing a conversation in the 900 block of Garfield.

"The conversation was that a person named Calvin Smith, aka 'CC', had murdered John Griffin, aka 'Griff,' over some sort of a dope deal," Poplar Bluff Police Chief Danny Whiteley said earlier.

When officers contacted Griffin's "known associates," Whiteley said, it was learned Griffin had not been seen since July 3.

Whiteley said another individual provided officers with a similar account, indicating Smith had allegedly killed Griffin "in the country, which is an area known by older folks around here as in the Morocco/Broseley area."

The Butler County/Poplar Bluff Major Case Squad subsequently was activated to investigate Griffin's death.

Missouri State Highway Patrol Sgt. Dennis Overbey and Butler County Sheriff Mark Dobbs, according to Whiteley, went to the specific location indicated by the individual.

A check of the residence revealed a body in an abandoned outhouse behind the residence, Dobbs earlier said.

A search warrant subsequently was obtained to remove Griffin's body.

During the investigation, Whiteley said, Smith was "picked up" and interviewed by police detective Corey Mitchell, along with Missouri State Water Patrol Criminal Investigator Jeff Johnson and Ryan Becker with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms in Cape Girardeau.

After being told of his rights, "Mr. Smith eventually admitted his involvement in the murder," Whiteley said.

The motive was two-fold, Deputy Chief Jeff Rolland said earlier.

"Allegedly, the victim had stolen drugs from him and he owed him money. He wanted to make (Griffin) an example and try to get his money back," Rolland said.