Shooting probe aids in arrests for earlier gun crime

An investigation into a Cape Girardeau shooting that took place in January has led to the arrest of two men suspected of shooting a 40-year-old man in August.

Police say Ivory Alexander, 19, and Cornelius Johnson, 20, both of Cape Girardeau, broke into the home of John Murphy on Aug. 5 and shot him in the upper arm before fleeing. Police believe Johnson fired the gun.

Alexander and Johnson were arrested earlier this week and charged with first-degree assault, first-degree burglary and armed criminal action. The men were being held Wednesday at the Cape Girardeau County Jail in lieu of $250,000 bond each.

Cape Girardeau police detective Brent Steger said new information about the August shooting came when he was questioning witnesses about Zatron Twiggs. Twiggs, witnesses told police, shot Erica Hempstead in the back on Jan. 21 as she walked down Ellis Street.

"One of the witnesses we brought in mentioned that she knew something about another shooting that happened," Steger said.

Steger said it turned out that the witness and another woman were with Alexander and Johnson when they entered Murphy's home. Steger said Murphy was targeted after he spoke to the two women at a convenience store. Later, they showed up at Murphy's home at 143 S. Spanish with Alexander and Johnson.

"They thought he had money," Steger said. "They went there initially to rob him. The victim offered up his debit card and PIN, but they shot him and everybody ran without anything."

Steger said it was interesting how one of the men was caught. Police spread the word on the street that Johnson had a "small warrant" for his arrest for a minor crime. Then Johnson turned himself in to police, thinking it was unrelated to the shooting.

"He thought he could bond out for $250, but it was $250,000," Steger said. "He had his girlfriend drive him down here . He thought it was for something small."

The investigation into the August shooting stalled because Murphy wasn't very cooperative, Steger said. The detective said it wasn't clear why, except that there were "more things going on than he let on."

Police said they did not think the two shootings were related. Twiggs was arrested a few weeks after the January shooting.

Murphy was not at his home Wednesday and repeated attempts to contact him were unsuccessful.

smoyers@semissourian.com

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