A man was recently arrested in Poplar Bluff and is now facing serious criminal accusations. He is suspected of shooting and killing the manager of a hotel in St. Louis. Alongside his legal counsel, the 43-year-old man will likely begin examining options available to him, including the preparation of a criminal defense.
The incident supposedly began at about 2:50 a.m. when a 50-year-old hotel manager allowed the suspect in through a locked door. However, the authorities say that when the two began talking, the suspect supposedly brandished a handgun. The two allegedly struggled over the cash drawer, but the suspect is accused of shooting and fatally wounding the manager during the struggle.
According to the investigators, the man was arrested in Poplar Bluff for “unrelated” charges, but the charges for which he was originally arrested were not detailed. As a person of interest in the homicide case, investigators began interrogating him about the hotel shooting. All indications are that the authorities believe he was involved in the shooting incident.
The man has reportedly been struggling financially, and he has an extensive criminal record. However, just because a person has previously been convicted of a crime does mean that the person is automatically guilty of other crimes. This man is presumed innocent until, and only if, proved guilty by sufficient evidence in court. The standard of proof is known as beyond a reasonable doubt, and it is set high on purpose in order to prevent the conviction of innocent people. Furthermore he has specific legal rights guaranteed to him in his criminal defense that he, alongside his counsel, will surely want to safeguard as the criminal process in St. Louis moves forward.
Source: stltoday.com, “Suspect in Drury Inn killing arrested, police say“, Robert Patrick and Christine Byers, Jan. 18, 2015