Two Cape men charged with second-degree murder of Grandi

Two men face murder charges for shooting Ryan C. Grandi and leaving him at Southeast Hospital, where he later died March 1, police said.

The Cape Girardeau County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office charged Steffon R. Swader, 18, and Nicholas R. Fairbank, 20, both of Cape Girardeau, with second-degree murder, armed criminal action, tampering with physical evidence and first-degree burglary.

Nicholas R. Fairbank

Fairbank also was charged with unlawful possession of a firearm.

Swader, Fairbank, Grandi and three other people were at Grandi’s residence in the 600 block of Bellevue Street on March 1 when Grandi told Swader, Fairbank and two other people to leave, according to a probable-cause statement filed in the case by Cape Girardeau police detective Sgt. Jeff Bonham.

Fairbank, whose girlfriend, Vontrice Blackmon, was Grandi’s roommate and still was at the Bellevue Street residence, suggested he and Swader should “return to the house and basically threaten and scare Grandi with a gun,” Bonham wrote.

Fairbank told police he and Swader, each armed with guns, returned to find Grandi’s residence locked, Bonham wrote.

They unlocked the door by reaching through an open window and entered the home after pushing past a small box freezer that had been put in front of the door to barricade it, Bonham wrote, noting the two did not have permission to enter the home at that time.

Fairbank began to argue with Grandi about his relationship with Blackmon, who was passed out or asleep in another room, according to the statement.

Fairbank told police he held a gun at his side as he and Swader stood around Grandi, who sat on a couch, Bonham wrote.

Fairbank told police he turned to put his gun on a table behind him so he could fight Grandi when Swader suddenly drew his own gun and shot Grandi several times, Bonham wrote.

Fairbank and Swader each denied having shot Grandi, according to the statement.

Swader told police he had been present when Grandi was shot but denied active involvement in the shooting, Bonham wrote.

Fairbank told police he and Swader discussed what to do for 20 to 30 minutes while Grandi, still alive, remained on the couch where he’d been shot, Bonham wrote.

They took Grandi to Southeast Hospital, fleeing after emergency personnel took Grandi from the vehicle, Bonham wrote.

Police identified Swader and Fairbank after interviewing hospital security guards and took Swader into custody March 2, according to the statement.

Fairbank and Swader returned to the scene of the shooting, cleaned the residence and tried to dispose some of Swader’s clothes, Bonham wrote.

The two destroyed blood evidence while cleaning the crime scene, Bonham wrote.

Police have not recovered the gun used to kill Grandi, according to the statement.

Swader initially was charged with tampering with evidence, but that charge has been dismissed as a result of the new charges, according to a Cape Girardeau Police Department news release.

Fairbank was arrested March 6 on for an unrelated probation violation in Springfield, Missouri, Cape Girardeau police Lt. John Davis Jr. said Monday.

Online court records show Fairbank previously pleaded guilty to resisting arrest, endangering the welfare of a child and several misdemeanor assault charges.

Two days after the shooting, while searching the residence Grandi and Blackmon shared on Bellevue Street, investigators found about 19 grams of marijuana, two grams of methamphetamine and 12 pills later determined to be clonazepam, a seizure medication, according to a probable-cause statement filed in a related case.

Also found were digital scales, pipes and other drug paraphernalia.

Blackmon told police all the illicit items belonged to her, and she was charged with two counts of felony possession of a controlled substance and misdemeanor possession of a controlled substance, according to the statement.

If convicted, Swader and Fairbank could be sentenced to life in prison, according to a news release.

Both men’s bonds were set at $500,000 cash.

The Cape Girardeau/Bollinger County Major Case Squad no longer was active as of Monday afternoon, Davis said.

tgraef@semissourian.com

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