BREEANN RODRIGUEZ - 3 yo (8/2011)- Dunklin County (AR/TN Border) MO

PHOTO: 3-year-old BreeAnn Rodriguez, is seen in this undated file photo. BreeAnn was last seen on Aug. 6, 2011 outside her home riding a pink tricycle in Senath, MO.

BreeAnn was last seen on Aug. 6, 2011 outside her home riding a pink tricycle in Senath, MO.
PHOTO: 3-year-old BreeAnn Rodriguez, is seen in this undated file photo. BreeAnn was last seen on Aug. 6, 2011 outside her home riding a pink tricycle in Senath, MO.

Shawn Morgan, 43, a steel factory worker, father of three and neighbor of the girl, was arrested around 11 p.m. Friday. He has already been charged with first-degree murder, armed criminal action and tampering with physical evidence, and faces three counts including first-degree murder, Sokoloff said.

Authorities have not said what led them to arrest Morgan.

"Morgan is charged with causing the death of Breeann Rodriguez, 3 years old, also of Senath, by suffocating her," Sokoloff told ABC affiliate KAIT-TV. "The charge is that he did this on Aug. 6, the day that she went missing."



http://abcnews.go.com/m/story?id=14320825&sid=81&p=2

How could a father do such a monstrous thing?

Police: Motive unclear in death of Mo. 3-year-old

Published August 17, 2011 | Associated Press

SENATH, Mo. – As the small Missouri town of Senath prepares to say goodbye to Breeann Rodriguez, police are trying to determine what allegedly drove a neighbor to suffocate the 3-year-old girl.

Breeann's body was found in a remote floodway about eight miles from the family home in Senath, a town of 1,500 residents in far southeastern Missouri. Her funeral is scheduled for Saturday afternoon at the Senath Church of Christ.

A Missouri State Highway Patrol officer searching by boat found the body Tuesday on the bank of a wide drainage ditch, Julie Crowder of the Dunklin County Sheriff's Department said Wednesday.

"We are saddened to confirm our fears but glad we have been able to recover her for her parents," Sheriff Bob Holder said in a statement. He was out of the office and unavailable for comment Wednesday.

Breeann, who weighed about 30 pounds and wore her dark hair in pigtails, had been the subject of a frantic search since her parents reported her missing on Aug. 6. She was last seen riding her small pink bike with training wheels in front of the family home on Ode Johnson Street.

A week after her disappearance, a neighbor from the same street, Shawn Morgan, 43, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder, armed criminal action and tampering with evidence. A probable cause statement said Morgan confessed to finding the girl standing on the ladder at the pool in his yard, grabbed her and took her inside the house, where he suffocated her with a white plastic trash bag.

Morgan told investigators he "felt like it took an hour for the girl to die," according to the statement.

What wasn't clear was why he allegedly did it. Crowder said Morgan did not disclose a motive.

"It's all a mystery," she said.

Morgan made a brief court appearance Tuesday but did not enter a plea. He is due back on court for arraignment on Aug. 30. He is jailed without bond and does not yet have an attorney. Phone messages left on his home phone were not returned.

Crowder said authorities are taking precautions to ensure Morgan's safety. "Put it this way: He went to court in a bulletproof vest," she said.

Neighbors who also live on Ode Johnson Street described Breeann as a quiet, happy girl, always outside tagging along with her brothers, always on her pink bike.

"I've seen her riding that bicycle up and down the street so many times," said Ronnie Newman, 66. "She would wave as she'd pass by. This street is always full of kids."

Newman said his own son went to high school with Morgan. He said Morgan is married with three children ranging in age from about 8 to about 14. He works at a factory in Paragould, Ark., Newman said.

Neighbors described Morgan as quiet but not standoffish. Estelle Floyd, 90, said he comes from a good family and she was not aware of Morgan being in trouble before.

Newman said FBI agents and police knocked on doors throughout the neighborhood at around 2 a.m. Aug. 7, the day after Breeann went missing, then searched the homes. The next morning, as neighbors were gathering to talk about the search, Morgan joined them, he said.

"He came down and talked to us, talking like nothing was going on," Newman said. "We were all wondering how somebody could do something like that, and he was saying the same thing."

Neighbors said the Rodriguez family is friendly but reserved.

"I would see her (Breeann) out in the yard all the time," said next-door neighbor Sharon Haddock, a retiree in her 60s. "She was such a sweet little girl. It's just so tragic."

Floyd said that if such a crime can happen in Senath, it can happen anywhere.

"All I can say is everybody be careful and watch your children," she said.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/08/17/police-motive-unclear-in-death-mo-3-year-old/#ixzz1VNxjLXLN

LEACHVILLE, AR (KFVS) -

Three poker runs on Saturday raised money for the family of Breeann Rodriguez, the children of Jacque Waller and a 4-year-old leukemia patient.

The first run was held in Leachville, Ark. for the family of Breeann Rodriguez. It raised $4,000 with donations still coming in. The riders were the "Cave Dwellers," that is made up of first responders, police and firefighters.

Police Chief Keith Evans says the death of Breeann "hit hard" in the Arkansas community of Leachville only 6 miles from the Rodriguez' home in Senath.

The run consisted of drivers of around 180 motorcycles from northeast Arkansas and southeast Missouri who participated in the fundraiser.

Breeann disappeared while riding her bike near her home in Senath on August 6. Later it was learned that her neighbor, Shawn Morgan told police he suffocated the little girl.

He now faces first degree murder charges.

Chief Evans says the money will be presented to the family of Breeann Saturday at 5 p.m.

The second poker run was held for the children of Jacque Waller. It was held in Cape Girardeau at Bootheel Harley Davidson from 12-4 p.m. Food, shirts, bracelets and raffles were available. The cost was $10 per rider and $5 for a partner.

Jacque Waller was last seen on June 1, 2011 in Cape Girardeau County.

The third poker run of the day was held in Advance for a 4-year-old West Plains boy battling leukemia. 4-year-old Isaac West was diagnosed on April 28, 2011 and has had chemotherapy 5 times.

Family members say he had surgery to remove a kidney tumor on Thursday and is still battling a tumor on his skull.

All the money raised is for travel and medical expenses.

Riders paid a $15 entry fee and made stops in Advance, Marble Hill, Zalma and Bloomfield.

Raffles were held later in the day for the 4-year-old.
http://www.kfvs12.com/story/15344708/money-raised-for-family-of-breeann-rodriguez

DUNKLIN COUNTY, Mo. - The man accused of killing 3-year old Breean Rodriguez now faces a new charge.

Shawn Morgan was charged with first degree murder, armed criminal
action, and tampering with evidence in the death of Breeann, a neighbor
in Senath, Missouri.

Now, felony child kidnapping has been added to his charges.

The young girl was reported missing in early August, and was missing a
week before police arrested Morgan. Police say Morgan confessed to
suffocating Rodriguez after finding her at his backyard swimming pool.

In addition to the amended charge, Dunklin County Prosecuting
Attorney Stephen Sokoloff also filed a notice of statutory aggravating
circumstances, which will permit the State to seek a death sentence for
the murder charge against Morgan, should they choose the option.

Sokoloff stated, "I have spoken wtihtith Breeann's parents about this issue, and they are in supporth of my taking this step."

Morgan has not yet hired an attorney, and the judge has given him more time.

Morgan is due back in court on September 13.
http://www.wpsdlocal6.com/news/local/Additional-charges-in-Breeann-Rodriguez-murder-128685653.html

Morgan files for public defender

Tuesday, September 13, 2011
LECIA FORESTER , Daily Dunklin Democrat

Shawn Morgan, 43, of Senath, Mo., appeared in a Dunklin County courtroom on Tuesday morning before Judge John C. Spielman, his third appearance since being charged with the disappearance and death of three-year-old BreeAnn Rodriguez, also of Senath.
On Monday, Sept. 12, it was learned that the Dunklin County Prosecuting Attorney, Stephen P. Sokoloff, had filed a second amended complaint against Morgan, alleging an additional offense. The new count alleges that Morgan committed a Class C felony offense of Possession of Child Pornography. The new charge is a result of a continuing investigation into the case by Dunklin County law enforcement officials.

Other charges against Morgan include felony counts of first degree murder, armed criminal action and tampering with physical evidence in connection to the case.

At Morgan's last appearance on Aug. 30, Sokoloff introduced the additional charge of felony A child kidnapping and also filed a notice of statutory of aggravating circumstances. According to Sokoloff, this is something the Prosecutor's office has to do in case it wishes to pursue the death penalty at a future date.

At all court appearances, Morgan appeared without legal representation but according to Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Jonce Chidister, Morgan claims he cannot afford an attorney and has filed the necessary paperwork to obtain representation through the public defender's office. Another court appearance has been set for 9 a.m., on Oct. 4, 2011.

"He made an application which is required by law. The public defender's office reviewed the application and made a report back to the court. The judge then appointed a public defender to represent him," Chidister said.

According to Chidister, the paperwork for the public defender will be forwarded to one of the larger public defender divisions, possibly St. Louis, Mo. He added, "I expect because we have filed a notice of aggravating factors, the public defenders office has a special division called the capitol division. They specialize in death penalty defense. They will send down an attorney or a team of attorneys to represent Mr. Morgan. I don't know if they will be here on Oct. 4, or they will just send us down a list of dates.

"We'll have the court reporters dates by then and we'll sit down and coordinate either Tuesday or Friday when the attorneys can be here, when we have an opening and when the court reporter has an opening. We'll actually have the preliminary hearing on that day."

When asked if Morgan will plea during the preliminary hearing, Chidister said, "We will present evidence. If the court finds that there is probable cause to believe that the crimes were committed and that the defendant committed them which means there is some amount of evidence there that says yes, this list of crimes occurred and yes, there is evidence that this defendant committed this list of crimes. Then it would be bound over to Division One and in Division One is when he would actually formally enter a plea of guilty or not guilty."

Three-year-old BreeAnn Rodriguez went missing from near her home in Senath on Saturday, Aug. 6, 2011, while she and her brother were riding their bicycles in the neighborhood.

In the week following her disappearance, community volunteers, the Federal Bureau of Investigation Task Force, Dunklin County Sheriff's Department, Missouri State Highway Patrol, Kennett Police Department and the Bootheel Drug Task Force aided in the search for the missing child before it came to an end when the child's body was discovered in the floodway ditches northeast of Hornersville, Mo., approximately eight miles southeast of her home in Senath.

Morgan was arrested and charged in the child's death on Aug. 13 and was taken to the Dunklin County Justice Center where he remains without bond.

http://www.dddnews.com/story/1762141.html

11/07/2011 Notice of Court Hearing Sent
ATTORNEY CHARLES MORELAND AND ATTORNEY THOMAS MARSHALL.
Preliminary Hearing Scheduled
Scheduled For: 12/02/2011; 1:00 PM ; JOHN C SPIELMAN; Dunklin
Hearing Continued/Rescheduled
Hearing Continued From: 11/07/2011; 1:30 PM Preliminary Hearing
Order
IT IS HEREBY ORDERED, UPON SHOWING OF GOOD CAUSE AND BY CONSENT OF THE STATE, PRELIMINARY HEARING WILL BE RESCHEDULED FOR DECEMBER 2, 2011 AT 1:00 P.M.
Filed By: JOHN C SPIELMAN

https://www.courts.mo.gov/casenet/cases/searchDockets.do

Man charged with murdering 3-year-old waves preliminary hearing

Posted:
Dec 02, 2011 1:50 PM EST

Updated:
Dec 02, 2011 1:52 PM EST

By James Long


Shawn Morgan

Breeann Rodriguez

DUNKLIN COUNTY, MO (KFVS) -
The bootheel man accused of killing his three-year-old neighbor won't appear in a Dunklin County court Friday as expected.

Instead, Prosecuting Attorney Steve Sokoloff tells Heartland News
that Shawn Morgan's lawyers waived his preliminary hearing Friday
morning.

Shawn Morgan, 43, of Senath was charged with murder in the suffocation death of Breeann Rodriguez.

Prelim waived in Morgan trial

Sunday, December 4, 2011
LECIA FORESTER Daily Dunklin Democrat

During court proceedings on Friday morning, the preliminary hearing for Shawn Morgan, 43, of Senath, Mo., was waived and he was bound over to Division 1, according to Dunklin County Prosecuting Attorney Stephen P. Sokoloff.
Morgan's arraignment has been set for Dec. 14.

Originally, the date for the preliminary had been scheduled for 1:30 p.m., Monday, Nov. 7, but a motion for continuance was filed by Morgan's attorney and was granted by Judge Spielman, citing "good cause," and was rescheduled for Dec. 2.

Morgan was arrested on Aug. 13 of this year in the case concerning the disappearance and death of three-year-old BreeAnn Rodriguez, also of Senath.

The first charges filed against Morgan by Dunklin County law enforcement authorities included felony counts of first degree murder, armed criminal action and tampering with physical evidence in connection with the case.

Additional charges of felony A kidnapping and a class C offense of possession of child pornography soon followed as investigation into the case continued.

Since Morgan's arrest, Sokoloff also filed with the court a notice of statutory aggravating circumstances which is a procedural step that is required if the death penalty should become a consideration later on.

Rodriguez was reported missing from her home in Senath on Saturday, Aug. 6, while she and her brother were riding their bicycles near their home.

A search of the area was conducted by various agencies which included the Federal Bureau of Investigation Task Force, the Dunklin County Sheriff's Department, Missouri State Highway Patrol, Kennett Police Department and the Bootheel Drug Task Force as well as members of the community.

Ten days later the child's remains were located near the floodway ditches northeast of Hornersville, Mo., approximately eight miles southeast of her home in Senath.

http://www.dddnews.com/story/1790754.html

Suspected killer of Senath 3-year-old appears in court

Updated: Dec 14, 2011 12:34 PM EST


Shawn Morgan (Source: Dunklin County Sheriff's Department)



Breeann Rodriguez (Source: NCMEC)

KENNETT, MO (KAIT) – The man accused of killing Senath 3-year-old Breeann Rodriguez has pleaded not guilty in court Wednesday.

According to the Dunklin County Prosecutor's
Office, Shawn Morgan pleaded not guilty in court Wednesday and his
lawyers filed a change of venue request. The request was granted with
stipulations, meaning the trial will still be in Dunklin County, but the
jury will come from Phelps County.

Morgan is schedule to appear in court again on February 8 at 10am for a motions hearing.

Morgan is charged with first degree murder,
armed criminal action, tampering with evidence, child kidnapping, and
possession of child pornography.

Dunklin County Prosecutor Stephen Sokoloff
also filed a notice of statutory aggravating circumstances, which will
permit the State to seek a death sentence for the first-degree murder
charge against Morgan. While this does not guarantee that the State
will seek the death penalty, it is a procedural step to make the penalty
an option.

Shawn Morgan is accused of killing 3-year-old
Breeann Rodriguez of Senath after police say he admitted to an agent of
the Bootheel Drug Task Force that he suffocated Breeann with a trash
bag after finding her standing on the ladder of his pool.

Police say he admitted that he dumped her
body in the floodway ditches on Missouri Highway 164. He then told
police he returned home, dismantled the bike she was riding and dumped
it in the same floodway ditches.

Breeann went missing Saturday August 6 while
riding her bicycle in front of her home. Morgan was arrested and
admitted to police that he killed her on Saturday August 13.

Breeann's body was found more than a week
later on Tuesday August 16 near the floodway ditches about eight miles
southeast of her family's home in Senath.

Morgan is set to appear in court again on February 8, 2012.

Region 8 News will continue to track this story and being you any updates as soon as they become available.

http://www.kait8.com/story/15358904/suspected-killer-of-senath-3-year-old-appears-in-court

Accused killer pleads not guilty in court

Posted: Dec 14, 2011 10:57 AM CST
Updated: Dec 14, 2011 12:27 PM CST

KENNETT, MO (KFVS) -
The bootheel man accused of killing his 3-year-old neighbor pleaded not guilty to charges Wednesday in front of a judge.

Shawn Morgan, 43, pleaded not guilty Wednesday to various charges.

Morgan faces first degree murder, armed criminal action, tampering with evidence, child kidnapping and child pornography charges.

He entered the plea in front of around two dozen members of Breeann's family, including her parents.

The trial for Morgan is scheduled for February 8, 2012 in Dunklin County.

Jurors will be from a surrounding county.

Morgan of Senath, was charged with murder in the suffocation death of 3-year-old Breeann Rodriguez who died on August 6, 2011.

Morgan had told police he put the girl's body in the same trash bag she was suffocated with, and drove to the floodway ditches of Hwy. 164. He told police he then threw her over the railing.

[Read the probable cause statement (PDF)]

Investigators on the scene of a fire Wednesday morning confirmed Morgan's vacant home in Senath burned down.

The Missouri Fire Marshal was on the scene investigating the cause of this fire.

http://www.kfvs12.com/story/16323025/accused-killer-pleads-not-guilty-in-court-a

A trial date has been set for the man accused of killing a 3-year-old girl from his southeast Missouri neighborhood.
The Kennett Daily Dunklin Democrat reports that 43-year-old Shawn Morgan of Senath is scheduled to stand trial starting Dec. 10.

Though the trial will be in Dunklin County, jurors will be selected from Phelps County on Dec. 6-7. Morgan is charged with first-degree murder in the death of BreeAnn Rodriguez.

The girl went missing on Aug. 6. Her remains were found 10 days later about eight miles outside of Senath.

Authorities say Morgan confessed to killing the girl after finding her on the ladder of his above-ground backyard swimming pool, but a motive has not been released.

Dunklin County prosecutor Stephen Sokoloff is seeking the death penalty.

http://www.ktts.com/news/139103244.html

Death penalty to be sought for alleged child murderer

Wednesday, November 21, 201



Shawn Morgan

Dunklin County Prosecuting Attorney Stephen P. Sokoloff has gone on
record saying unless circumstances of the case change, he will be asking
for the death penalty in the case of the State vs. Shawn Morgan, alleged murderer of three-year-old Breann Rodriguez of Senath, Mo.
Papers have already been filed with the court in the event Sokoloff decided to seek the death penalty.

"I have filed a motion of aggravating circumstances which means unless
circumstances change, yes," he said in answer to the question of whether
he would seek the death penalty.

In the most recent court appearance, Prosecuting Attorney Sokoloff
represented the State of Missouri and Morgan appeared with his attorney
Thomas Marshall. It was during this time that a ruling on the motions
that Morgan's attorney had filed with the court earlier were heard,
including a motion to continue trial.

The continuance was allowed and Morgan's trial has been taken off the court docket for Dec. 10, 2012.

Sokoloff noted that the motions that were filed were the Public Defender
Capital Unit Packet and are filed in every case. Others sustained
included:

* Defendant's motion to submit juror questionnaires. It was noted in
Missouri Case Net that both parties will try to agree on questionnaires.
If this cannot be done, the court will determine the questionnaires to
be submitted;

* Defendant's motion to compel state to provide instructions prior to
trial. The instructions are to provided 10 days before the trial begins;

* Defendant's motion to invoke rule prior to voir dire is sustained.
Sokoloff explained that this means witnesses cannot be in the courtroom
prior to their testimony;

* Defendant's motion to compel notice of intent to offer nonstatutory aggravators is sustained.

"If I intend to offer evidence that matters in sentencing that are not
among the ones that are specifically listed that the jury may consider
in assessing punishment, I'm supposed to give them notice of that,"
Sokoloff said.

* Defendant's motion in limine to exclude any testimonial statements is sustained in part.

"Any statements that are determined to be testimonial under the ruling
of "Crawford versus Washington" is sustained. That's just basically
saying courts compile the law," Sokoloff commented.

* Defendant's motion to discover arrest and conviction reports of witness is sustained.

"All conviction information will be provided. Arrests concerning current
pending charges shall be disclosed as well," Sokoloff said, adding,
"Arrest records in conjunction with cases where no charges were filed or
where they were subsequently dismissed are not."

When asked why the trial was removed from the court docket of Dec. 10,
he explained, "There's a number of additional issues that need to be
taken up prior to a trial. There's a whole mariot of things."

Three year-old Rodriguez went missing from near her home on Aug. 6, 2011.

A search of the area was conducted by various agencies which included
the Federal Bureau of Investigation Task Force, the Dunklin County
Sheriff's Department, Missouri State Highway Patrol, Kennett Police
Department and the Bootheel Drug Task Force, as well as members of the
community.

Ten days later the child's remains were located near the floodway
ditches northeast of Hornersville, Mo., approximately eight miles
southeast of her home in Senath.

At this time, a date has not been set for the trial. Jurors will still be selected from Phelps County, Mo.

* Some information for this article has been taken from Missouri Case Net.
http://www.dddnews.com/story/1915958.html

Trial Delayed

Wednesday, November 21, 2012


KENNETT, Mo. (AP) — A southeastern Missouri man accused of killing a 3-year-old girl who
wandered into his yard has had his trial postponed.

Shawn Morgan, of Senath (SEE'-nuhth), had been scheduled to go on trial Dec. 10 in
Dunklin County Circuit Court. The Daily Dunklin Democrat reports (http://bit.ly/SU0t0F ) the case has been taken off the docket, but no new trial date has been set.

The county prosecutor said earlier this year he would seek the death
penalty if Morgan is convicted in the August 2011 killing of BreeAnn Rodriguez. The toddler's remains were found 10 days later about eight miles away.

Authorities have said Morgan confessed to killing BreeAnn after finding her on the
ladder of his above-ground backyard swimming pool.

A jury will be brought from central Missouri's Phelps County for Morgan's trial.

http://www.sfgate.com/news/crime/article/Trial-delayed-in-killing-of-3-year-old-SE-Mo-girl-4060971.php#ixzz2D4pElVZ2

Shawn Morgan to stand trial in November for killing three year old girl

6:18 AM, Feb 26, 2013
Dave Keiser

Kennett, MO (KSDK) - A November 18, 2013 trial date was set Monday for the man accused of kidnapping and killing a three year old girl in 2011.

44 year old Shawn Morgan of Senath is also charged with armed criminal action, evidence tampering, and possession of child pornography.

Investigators say Morgan abducted the child, BreeAnn Rodriguez on August 6, 2011 as the youngster was riding her bicycle near a swimming pool on Morgan's property.

Prosecutors allege Morgan killed the child, then tossed her into flood waters of a nearby ditch where she was later found.

Authorities say Morgan strangled the young girl. He remains jailed without bond awaiting his trial.

http://www.ksdk.com/news/article/365400/3/Man-charged-in-childs-murder-set-for-fall-trial

Senath man sentenced to life in prison for killing girl
Posted: Mar 10, 2014 2:33 PM CDT
Updated: Mar 10, 2014 4:52 PM CDT

KENNETT, MO (AP) - A southeast Missouri man has been sentenced to life in prison without parole for abducting and killing a 3-year-old neighbor girl in 2011.

Shawn Morgan of Senath pleaded guilty Monday to first-degree murder, armed criminal action and child kidnapping. He had been scheduled to go to trial in August.

Three-year-old Breeann Rodriguez went missing on Aug. 6, 2011, while riding a small pink bicycle with training wheels near her home.

Her disappearance set off a frantic search in Senath. Her remains were found 10 days later about eight miles outside of the small community.

Authorities say Morgan confessed to killing the child after finding her on the ladder of his above-ground backyard swimming pool.

http://www.kait8.com/story/24933119/senath-man-sentenced-to-life-in-prison-for-killing-girl

We want Shawn Morgan Executed

https://www.facebook.com/executeshawnmorgan