Suspect charged in stabbing

Daily Dunklin Democrat

KENNETT, Mo. -- A Columbia, Mo., man is being held in the Dunklin County Jail for the Thursday evening stabbing of a Kennett woman.

Vennis P. Brown, 36, has been charged with first-degree assault and armed criminal action in an attack on Latisha Lowe, 23, of Kennett. The charges were filed Friday by John Spielman, assistant prosecuting attorney.

Bond for Brown was set at $75,000 by Associate Circuit Judge Dan Crawford.

Officers Michael George, Robert Moore and Craig Crow were sent to 921 Dolph around 8:30 p.m. Thursday to investigate a 911 call of a reported stabbing.

George said when he arrived, he found Lowe lying on the bathroom floor holding her stomach.

He said she appeared to have been stabbed in the neck and stomach.

Lowe told police that Brown had stabbed her during an altercation.

Her brother, Larry Bagwell, a witness to the incident, told the officers that Brown was next door at 917 Dolph.

George and Crow then went to that address and was told the resident that Brown was in the bathroom. When Brown came out of the bathroom and was he was arrested. George said a knife was found in plain view in the bathtub and taken as evidence.

While taking Brown to the police station, Brown told officers Lowe had struck him in the head and, "what did she expect?" He then said he "did not have anything to do with anything."

When police advised Brown of the Miranda warning, he told officers he understood his right and made a voluntary statement. In his statement Brown said he did not remember stabbing Lowe, but if she said he did, then he possibly could have.

He said he had been drinking and had been struck on the head.

Brown admitted the knife police had recovered was his, and he said a "dew rag" found at 920 Dolph where the attack had occurred, was his.

Officer Robert Moore interviewed Lowe at Twin Rivers Regional Medical Center where she had been taken for treatment. Lowe said her brother and Will Holliman had gotten into a fight. She said she tried to break up the fight and Brown jumped on her. She said she struck Brown and he punched her in the face.

The fight broke up and Brown said she and Holiman had gone to her residence at 920 Dolph. After their arrival there was a knock on the door. Lowe said when she opened the door she was confronted by Brown who stabbed her in the stomach and neck with a knife.