Sikeston man sentenced to 55 years for 2013 murder of his wife

JACKSON, Mo. -- A Sikeston man was sentenced to 55 years in prison in connection with the death of his wife.

Stevie Cordale Lott, 44, was sentenced Tuesday in Cape Girardeau County Circuit Court, where his case was heard on a change of venue for the murder Nyketia Lott on Sept. 12, 2013, at their Sikeston home. Lott was sentenced to 30 years in the Department of Corrections on a charge of second degree murder, 10 years for armed criminal action and 15 years for the unlawful possession of a firearm with the sentences to run consecutively.

Because he has three prior felony convictions, Lott must serve 85 percent of the sentence prior to being available for parole.

Lott was found guilty in a bench trial heard by Judge Benjamin Frederick Lewis on Aug. 17 and 18.

The charges stem from an incident which began around 3 a.m. Sept. 12, 2013, when the Sikeston Department of Public Safety received a call in reference to a domestic disturbance on John R. Boulevard in Sikeston. Upon officers' arrival, they located the body of 26-year-old Nyketia Lott.

The victim was located lying on the floor of the southwest bedroom lodged between the bed and the wall. She had a grave injury to the back of her head and had lost a large amount of blood, DPS reported at the time.

She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Mrs. Lott's 2-year-old son was asleep in the southeast bedroom unharmed.

Approximately two hours later, Sikeston DPS located the victim's spouse, Stevie Lott, and took him into custody.

At the time Lott claimed he and his wife were arguing when she brought out a pistol and held it at her head. During a struggle, Lott alleged Nyketia Lott shot herself as he attempted to take the gun from her.

"This case is an example of the greatest fear related to domestic violence, that being the murder of a family member," said Scott County Prosecutor Paul Boyd who tried the case along with assistant prosecutor Zachary Horack. "We pray for the innocent family members involved in this case. The sentencing of Lott reflects his acts in this case and his criminal history inclusive of prior felony assault case in 1992, his involuntary manslaughter and armed criminal action convictions from 1995, and a past federal weapons violation from 2004. Judge Lewis sent a message to Mr. Lott and all other convicted felons who seek to possess or use a weapon by running all the sentences consecutively.

"I expect Mr. Lott to spend 40 years in prison before he is actually considered for release on parole spending 27-and-a-half years on murder in the second degree, five years on the armed criminal action and another seven-and-a-half years for the felon in possession of the firearm."