Witnesses testify about man's threats, beatings against woman

A judge found probable cause Tuesday for multiple charges to go forward against a Cape Girardeau man accused of hitting his girlfriend, firing a gun into the air and threatening to kill her and dump her body into the Mississippi River.

At a preliminary hearing Tuesday, Latrice Johnson testified Ivory Alexander fired one shot in the air and looked her in the face. She shook her head, but Alexander put the gun to Kaitlyn Skelton's head, looked at Johnson again, and she let him into her vehicle, she said.

"He told me to take him to the river so he can kill her and drop her in," Johnson said.

Johnson and Skelton, 22, testified against Alexander, 32, in front of Associate Circuit Judge Gary Kamp in Jackson.

Alexander is charged with first-degree domestic assault, first-degree robbery, kidnapping, armed criminal action and unlawful possession of a firearm.

Johnson said she picked Alexander up and took him to his mother's house about midnight April 18. The two had become friends, meeting just 30 days before but hanging out nearly every day during that time, Johnson said.

She said it was not unusual for her to give Alexander rides around midnight.

"We was just cool," Johnson said of her relationship with Alexander.

Johnson said she took Alexander to Skelton's apartment. They were in the car shortly after the alleged confrontation.

"I'm seeing her; they're going back and forth," Johnson said. "She's grabbing me on the side, on my shirt. We almost got to the river. He's still hitting her, and I keep going."

Although he acknowledged Johnson did not take him where he wanted to go, Alexander asked Johnson to take him to his baby's mother's house, Johnson testified.

According to a probable-cause statement filed by Cape Girardeau police, Johnson said at this point, "I don't know why you're (messing) with this (woman); she ain't worth it."

When they arrived at the house, Skelton said the mother of Alexander's child told him to stop. Soon after, Alexander went inside, and Johnson told Skelton to get back in the car and took her back to the 1700 block of Cape Meadows Circle.

Skelton said she began arguing with Alexander the night of April 17.

Although Alexander had been staying with her, the two had been in an intimate relationship for only a week and half, Skelton told Slone.

She also told Slone she had used methamphetamine about an hour before Alexander arrived at her apartment early April 18.

She was at a neighbor's apartment when Alexander arrived. She said Alexander was holding a gun, pushed her and hit her.

She said she was holding her phone when Alexander entered a neighbor's apartment; the phone fell to the floor when he pushed her, and he picked it up as Skelton reached for it.

Skelton testified Alexander brought her to the door of the car, told Johnson to open the door and fired a single shot in the air.

As the three of them drove around, Skelton said Johnson was doing her best to drive to the river. She said Alexander was hitting her as Johnson drove.

"We're driving around, and he's hitting me," Skelton said. "He's hitting me in the head; he hit me in the ribs."

Skelton said she had bruises to her arms, legs, ribs and face and suffered a broken nose. She said she was bleeding from her knees when she went to the hospital later that night.

Assistant public defender Jennifer Slone asked for the first-degree domestic assault charge to be dropped because Skelton did not describe serious injuries.

She also requested the robbery charge be dropped because there was no evidence Alexander took away Skelton's phone.

Kamp overruled both requests.

After the hearing concluded, Alexander told his mother, "I told you they've been lying."

bkleine@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3644

Pertinent address: 1700 block of Cape Meadows Circle, Cape Girardeau, Mo.