Sikeston teen ordered held for trial after prank turns deadly

NEW MADRID, Mo. — What apparently began as a teen prank that turned deadly now is a murder trial.

After a preliminary hearing in New Madrid County Circuit Court on Thursday afternoon, Tiarrius Gant, 17, of Sikeston, Missouri, was ordered bound over for trial on charges of second-degree murder, two counts of armed criminal action, discharge of a weapon from a motor vehicle and second-degree felony murder perpetration/attempted perpetration or flight from perpetration of a felony where a person dies in connection with a shooting. Gant is charged in the Dec. 29 shooting death of Devin Alexander, 17.

New Madrid County Prosecuting Attorney Andrew Lawson called three witnesses at the preliminary hearing heard by Associate Judge Joshua Underwood.

The first witness, Jamarius Robinson, testified he was with friends, including Alexander, when they saw a post on Facebook by Gant.

Robinson testified they decided to go over to the house, where Gant was sitting outside in his car with a friend.

“We said we were going to scare them,” he explained.

According to Robinson, after he and Alexander arrived, they agreed to go up to the car and open the doors. As Robinson approached the driver’s side door, Alexander went to the passenger’s door and opened it, he said.

“It happened real fast,” Robinson told the court, adding he heard a shot after Alexander opened the car door.

Robinson testified Gant initially got out of the car and was laughing. When the others at the scene told Gant that Alexander was shot, “‘T’ got in the car, got scared and left,” Robinson said.

At that point, Robinson said he and others at the scene took Alexander to the hospital.

During cross-examination by public defender Susan Warren, Robinson said it was dark, and they had parked their vehicle behind another vehicle in an effort to surprise Gant and his passenger.

At first, Robinson said, he didn’t realize his friend was hurt.

“Devin leaned on the car and said he got shot,” Robinson said. “We just looked at him and said, ‘Quit playing’ ....”

Lawson called Sikeston Department of Public Safety detective Flint Dees to testify. Dees, lead detective on the case, said he arrived at the scene in the 800 block of Apache Drive, which is a part of Sikeston in New Madrid County, four to five minutes after the first officers.

Dees said another officer went to the emergency room at Missouri Delta Medical Center, where Alexander was taken. According to Dees, witnesses there identified Gant as the shooter.

A bulletin describing Gant and his vehicle was issued, and officers began searching for him. By tracing Gant’s cellphone, he was found in the St. Louis area. Gant was arrested by officers with the St. Louis Homicide Unit the next morning, Dees said.

According to Dees, Gant later told officers the gun used in the shooting could be found near Perryville, Missouri, off of Interstate 55. Although a search was conducted by DPS officers and officers with the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, it was not found.

The next day, Dees said he interviewed the passenger in Gant’s car, who agreed to lead the officers to the gun’s location. According to Dees, the Kahr semi-automatic .380 pistol was found in a fence row about 200 yards from the shooting.

A check of the gun’s serial numbers determined the gun was stolen, Dees testified.

Under cross-examination, Dees said when he interviewed the passenger in Gant’s vehicle, the passenger said he was startled when Alexander opened the door.

“Like he was going to rob him?” Warren asked.

“That’s what he said,” Dees replied.

The final witness to take the stand was New Madrid County sheriff’s deputy Chris Hensley. Hensley conducted a recorded interview with Gant at the Pemiscot County Sheriff’s Department after Gant’s return from St. Louis.

According to Hensley, Gant said the night of the shooting, when the car door opened, all he could see was someone wearing a gray hoodie grabbing his friend. He told the officer he grabbed a gun from the car’s console and shot at the person.

“He said he didn’t know who it was; all he saw was a gray hoodie,” Hensley stated.

During the interview, Gant said had found the gun on a dirt road while shooting rifles with friends. He estimated he found the gun about seven days before the shooting.

Lawson asked Hensley whether Gant was aware of Alexander’s death during their conversation.

“Yes, sir,” Hensley said.

Hensley said he questioned Gant several times about the gun’s location, telling the teen it was important the gun be recovered to keep it from being involved in any other crimes. Questioned on whether he found the weapon, Gant refused to answer, responding he didn’t want to be “a snitch,” the officer said.

When questioned by Gant’s attorney why Hensley thought Gant was not being truthful about the gun’s whereabouts, Hensley responded, “When he dropped his head and began to mumble, that’s how I knew he wasn’t telling the truth.”

Warren did not call any witnesses for the defense. But during final arguments, she pointed out the prosecution failed to have anyone testify to Alexander’s death. She also said Gant was acting in self-defense that night, fearing he was being carjacked or robbed.

Lawson responded that rather than shooting Alexander, Gant could have simply driven away.

After hearing the evidence, Underwood ordered Gant to be bound over for trial in Division I of New Madrid County Circuit Court. Gant is to return to court at 1 p.m. Feb. 23.

He is being held in the Pemiscot County Jail. Bond is set at $100,000.