Charleston man charged with April 1 murder

CHARLESTON, Mo. — A Charleston man faces felony murder charges for his alleged involvement with a death investigation in Mississippi County.

Bryan Austin Campbell, 25, is charged with first-degree murder, armed criminal action, unlawful use of a weapon and abandonment of a corpse on April 1, according to online court records.

The charges stem from the discovery of a body found off Mississippi County Road 203 on April 6, according to Mississipi County Sheriff Britton Ferrell. The victim has been positively identified as Christopher Dylan Vinson of Charleston.

According to the probable cause statement, at 4:44 p.m. April 6, the Mississippi County Sheriff’s Office received an emergency call referencing a deceased body located partially submerged in the water in Mississippi County. The sheriff’s office and the Missouri State Highway Patrol’s Division of Drug and Crime Control responded to the scene. The body was removed from the water, and he had one visible gunshot wound to the head and another to the shoulder, the probable cause said. During interviews, investigators determined the victim had not been seen alive since April 1.

A criminal complaint said Campbell allegedly shot and killed Vinson, then left his body in the water. Campbell was arrestred and as of Tuesday, April 16, Campbell remained in the Mississippi County Detention Center where he is being held without bond. He is scheduled to be arraigned April 17.