A Poplar Bluff man has been sentenced to more than 70 years in prison in the death of a man whose body was recovered from the Black River in 2014.
Curtis L. Walker, 35, of Poplar Bluff was sentenced Monday to 75 years in prison on charges of second-degree murder, armed criminal action, and first-degree burglary in relation to the 2014 shooting death of Salvador Ramirez of Poplar Bluff.
The Honorable Edward Reeves, circuit court judge of the 34th Judicial Circuit, sentenced Walker to 30 years in prison on the Class A felony of second-degree murder — the maximum sentence allowed on that charge. He also ordered 30 years in prison for armed criminal action, and 15 years on the Class B felony of first-degree burglary, which is also the maximum sentence for that count. All three sentences were ordered to be served consecutive to each other.
During the sentencing hearing Monday, two of Ramirez’s family members testified.
The first was Ramirez’s brother-in-law and the second was Ramirez’s daughter. According to Butler County Prosecuting Attorney Kacey Proctor, they testified that Ramirez was a good man who would help anyone at any time and that his murder devastated their family.
In the end, both of Ramirez's relatives asked Reeves to give Walker the maximum sentence allowed.
Walker was convicted by a New Madrid County jury on April 1 in the shooting death of Ramirez. The jury deliberated for just 38 minutes before returning their guilty verdict.
They heard testimony in which Walker admitted to shooting the victim, but said it was in self-defense.
“The evidence presented at the trial was on Oct. 22, 2014, a local fisherman was attempting to launch his boat at the Dan River Access south of Poplar Bluff when he observed what appeared to be a body laying at the end of the boat ramp,” Proctor said in a press release. “After calling emergency personnel, members of the Butler County Sheriff’s Office arrived on scene along with Butler County Coroner Jim Akers, who identified the victim as Salvador Ramirez.”
Dr. Russell Deidiker testified during the trial the cause of death was one of the two gunshot wounds to Ramirez’s head, Proctor said.
The Butler County Sheriff’s Department later found a car that had been set on fire off of County Road 305, which was determined to belong to a girlfriend of Walker. A third crime scene was identified at Ramirez's residence on 1224 Tremont St., where officers discovered the home had been burglarized, ransacked, and set on fire.