HAYTI HEIGHTS, Mo. -- A Poplar Bluff, Mo., man charged with murdering another man was taken into custody without incident Thursday afternoon at a home in Hayti Heights.
Authorities had been searching for David Lee Anderson, 30, of the 400 block of North Sixth Street since Wednesday in connection with the death of Geoffrey Wright, 46, of Malden, Mo.
Wright, according to earlier reports, was found unresponsive lying across the front seat of a still-running Chevrolet Equinox, which was parked behind a North Kimball Street residence in Malden.
Wright reportedly had been shot multiple times and was pronounced dead at the scene.
An eye witness identified Anderson as the alleged shooter.
"Through records searches and electronic data and different means of tracking, we came to the conclusion we wanted to start our house to house search there in Hayti Heights," explained Malden Police Chief Jarrett Bullock, who indicated investigators had "narrowed it down" to about a one and one-quarter mile radius.
Leaning heavy on the Hayti Police Department, Pemiscot County Sheriff's Department and Caruthersville Police Department, Bullock said, members of the Dunklin County Major Case Squad and Missouri State Highway Patrol met with officers from those agencies and began "branching out to do some searching door to door."
Bullock said the first Hayti Heights residence officers went to was a 651 Tucker St.
Officers, he said, made contact with the property owner and told him "what we were doing. He said: 'Can I go with you?'"
Accompanied by the property owner, officers entered the home, said Bullock, who has known Anderson since he was 11.
When told he needed to come out, Anderson responded with: "'I'm coming,' and came out with his hands up," Bullock said.
Anderson, who is charged with the Class A felony of first-degree murder, the unclassified felony of armed criminal action and the Class C felony of unlawful possession of a weapon, was taken into custody at about 3 p.m., said Bullock, who indicated the home as being that of a "former family/friend connection."
Although described as armed and dangerous, Bullock said, Anderson made no signs of "trying to be dangerous toward police."
Bullock said Anderson was booked into the Dunklin County Jail at about 4 p.m. on the no-bond warrant.
It was at about that same time, the chief said, the major case squad was deactivated.
As Anderson sat in jail this morning, an autopsy was performed on his alleged victim by Dr. Russell Deidiker at Farmington, Mo.
"What we are doing now, we're probably 80 to 85 percent" done with the investigation, Bullock explained. "We're going back through reports, cleaning up stuff, going back and doing re-interviews of the neighborhood canvas to prepare to get ready for his day in court."
According to earlier reports, an eye witness reported he saw Anderson approach Wright. The men reportedly had what was described as a brief conversation.
The witness, Bullock wrote in his probable-cause affidavit, reported the "exchange between the two men was becoming heated, and (the witness) told Anderson he is not supposed to be around there."
As the witness' attention was diverted to Wright, "Mr. Anderson produced a firearm and discharged the weapon numerous times," Bullock said.
As to the motive for the alleged shooting, "it's just not being released at this point," Bullock said.
The witness, Bullock said, further reported Anderson then walked back to the vehicle he was driving and left the area at a high rate of speed.
During the ensuing search for Anderson, "we began working with (Poplar Bluff) Chief (Danny) Whiteley and his bunch back and forth," said Bullock, who indicated Anderson is from Malden, but has been living in Poplar Bluff "off and on,"
Bullock said Poplar Bluff officers "searched multiples houses for us."
Without the cooperation of the "neighboring police agencies" and assistance from the citizens of Malden and Hayti Heights, "this (Anderson's arrest) wouldn't have happened, and the end result could have been worse," Bullock said.