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Watkins’ trial ends in mistrial with hung jury; Retrial will be scheduled
SIKESTON — The trial of a Sikeston man charged in the April murder of another man resulted in a mistrial with a deadlocked jury.
Tanner Watkins, 20, of Sikeston and Kaleb Michael Ramsey, 19, of Morehouse, Missouri, were each charged through Scott County for their alleged involvement in an April shooting incident that killed 18-year-old Isiah Fitzgerald of Sikeston and seriously injured an 18-year-old female of Chaffee at a Sikeston park.
Watkins and Ramsey were charged with first-degree murder; armed criminal action; three counts of first degree assault; and four counts of unlawful use of a weapon, according to online court records.
A jury trial for Watkins began Nov. 27 on a change of venue in Reynolds County, Missouri. The jury was discharged at 3 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 2 after informing the judge they could not reach a verdict, which resulted in the mistrial, according to Madeline Sieren, communications director for the Missouri Attorney General’s Office.
A hearing is scheduled for next week to take up defense motions and possibly pick a new trial date, Sieren said.
Ramsey is scheduled for a plea/trial setting at 1 p.m. Dec. 14 in Scott County Circuit Court, according to online court records.
On the afternoon of Tuesday, April 25, Sikeston Department of Public Safety responded to Rotary Park located at 300 Industrial Drive in Sikeston in reference to reports of gun fire, according to Sgt. Tyler Rowe, public information officer for Sikeston DPS.
According to initial reports, officers responded to the area to investigate the incident and were able to locate the scene where the shooting took place. Officers located and identified all people involved in the incident. 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.
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.
Ramsey and Watkins were identified as suspects and arrested by investigators.