Sikeston man found not guilty of murder

JACKSON -- A Sikeston man was found not guilty of second-degree murder Friday morning.

Orlando "T.J." Sheron Jr. was acquitted by a Cape Girardeau County jury for the April 2016 shooting death of Jay Harris.

Sheron, and Jeterrence Harris, who plead guilty in 2016 to unlawful use of a weapon, were each charged in the killing of Jay Harris and the shooting of a second victim.

According to initial reports from Sikeston Department of Public Safety, the shooting occurred at about 7:30 p.m. April 17, 2016, on Washington Street near the intersection of Alabama Street, adjacent to Robert Rowe Park. When officers arrived on the scene, they found Jay Harris with a bullet wound to his abdomen and a second victim with a gunshot to the leg, according to a probable cause statement.

Harris was pronounced dead about 8 p.m. while the other victim was treated and later released. The shooting was allegedly the result of an ongoing dispute between Jeterrence Harris and Sheron and Jay Harris.

Jeterrence Harris was located about midnight April 18, 2016, by DPS investigators and taken into custody. Sheron was arrested the evening of April 18, 2016. Sheron's mother, Carissa Nichols, allegedly took her son to a hotel room near Caruthersville, Missouri, and was originally charged with hindering the prosecution of a felony.

According to Sikeston DPS Director James McMillen, charges against Nichols were eventually dropped.

Sheron's trial was moved to Cape Girardeau County on a change of venue motion in June of 2016 and the trial began Wednesday.

McMillen said the jurors deliberated approximately an hour and a half before handing down the not guilty verdict.