Morehouse man convicted in tragic Sikeston park murder case

CHARLESTON, Mo. — A Scott County jury on Wednesday, March 5 found a Morehouse, Missouri, man guilty of the April 2023 murder of a another man at a park in Sikeston, Missouri.

Kaleb Michael Ramsey, 20, of Morehouse, Missouri, was found guilty of one count of second-degree murder; three counts of first-degree assault; and one count of unlawful use of a weapon, subsection 9, which involves discharging or shooting a firearm at or from a motor vehicle, for his involvement in the April 25, 2023, shooting incident that killed 18-year-old Isiah Fitzgerald of Sikeston and seriously injured a then-18-year-old Chaffee, Missouri, female at a Sikeston park.

Ramsey’s trial began Monday, March 3 on a change of venue in Mississippi County, Missouri, before 33rd Circuit Judge Blake Pearson. The jury deliberated for nearly four hours before returning a guilty verdict late Wednesday, March 5 a the Mississippi Courthouse in Charleston.

Scott County Prosecuting Attorney Donald Cobb and Scott County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Lesley A. Hall handled prosecution for the state.

“Representing the state, Mr. Cobb and I were pleased with the outcome and we believe the jury decided correctly on all matters,” Hall said, adding the victory was somber as the tragedy of this case cannot be ignored.

Throughout the trial, the state called 18 witnesses to the stand, and the defense called three witnesses including Ramsey.

“Kaleb testified that he did take the gun and did open fire and start shooting,” Hall said.

According to initial reports from Sikeston Department of Public Safety, on Tuesday, April 25, 2023, officers responded to Rotary Park located at 300 Industrial Drive in Sikeston in investigate reports of gunfire.

During the investigation, it was determined there were two victims from the shooting: Fitzgerald who was pronounced dead at a local hospital and the female who sustained life-threatening injuries and was transported for medical care. Investigators later learned a fight between several people on social media led to the shooting at the park.

Sikeston DPS Criminal Investigations Unit investigated the incident along with assistance of The Southeast Missouri Major Case Squad comprised of investigators from Sikeston DPS, Missouri State Highway Patrol, Scott County Sheriff’s Office and the New Madrid County Sheriff’s office.

Initially, Ramsey along with Tanner Watkins, 20, of Sikeston were identified as suspects and arrested by investigators.

A jury trial for Watkins from Nov. 27-Dec. 2, 2023, on a change of venue in Reynolds County, Missouri, resulted in a mistrial after the jury informed the judge they could not reach a verdict, according to Madeline Sieren, communications director for the Missouri Attorney General’s Office.

At the time Watkins’ attorney, Russell Oliver, said he filed a motion for judgment of acquittal on all charges after a jury could not reach an unanimous verdict in the trial. The Reynolds County judge then granted the order of acquittal on Dec. 13, 2023.

Meanwhile, a formal sentencing date for Ramsey will be scheduled following the completion of the sentencing assessment report, Hall said.

“It’s such a tragic circumstance,” Hall said. “While justice was had in the only way we can seek justice, it’s just a very somber result to this whole situation.”

So many lives were impacted and ruined by a seemingly meaningless dispute that arose on Facebook.

“Social media has its value in society,” Hall said. “We are able to communicate with folks we wouldn’t ordinarily keep in contact with and meet new people. There are a lot of good things social media provides, but social media can also be a gateway for deadly forces, negative forces and a very powerful mode for which to communicate. The takeaway from this is to try to implore people to not allow social media to ignite such an emotion within them that it causes them to make drastic decisions because it is so powerful.”