PB man charged in connection with Dec. 22 shooting

Charges were filed earlier this week against a Poplar Bluff man who alleges he fatally shot a woman during the preparation of an attempted robbery.

Tanika “Nikki” Trice, 30, was found dead at about 2:55 a.m. Dec. 22 laying in the driveway of a residence in the 800 block of Valley Street. She reportedly had been shot.

Authorities reportedly considered Gregory K. Richie as a person of interest in Trice’s death. He initially was held in Stoddard County on unrelated charges.

On Tuesday, Butler County Prosecuting Attorney Kacey Proctor charged the 44-year-old with the Class D felony of unlawful possession of a firearm and the Class E felony of tampering with physical evidence.

The complaint filed with the court alleges Richie knowingly possessed a Taurus .380-caliber firearm, and at the time he did so, was a convicted felon.

Richie previously had been convicted of the felony of possession of a controlled substance in Cole County in January 2002 and the felony of distribution of a controlled substance in Butler County in April 2015.

Richie also is accused of concealing the handgun from authorities.

The charges against Richie stem from an investigation by the Poplar Bluff Police Department.

Trice was found unresponsive when officers arrived on the scene, according to Detective Danny Hicks’ probable-cause statement.

A Valley Street resident, Hicks said, reported she was “awakened to several gunshots, and she heard a scream ... (The woman) saw (Trice) laying in the street, and she attempted to ask her who shot her; however, she never got an answer.

“Moments later, Gregory Richie arrived on the scene.”

Richie, the woman reported, told her two “masked men” had come into the home and demanded money from him.

Hicks said Richie later was interviewed and reported he had received a call from Trice “asking him if he wanted to smoke a blunt (marijuana). He told her to come over to the house.”

When Trice arrived, Richie told officers, she stayed less than three minutes before saying she “forgot something outside and would be right back.

“Trice returned a couple of minutes later and entered his bedroom with a Black male subject behind her. ... The subject was wearing a ski mask and holding a chrome-colored pistol.”

Hicks said Richie further reported the subject told him, “‘don’t make me get violent’ and instructed him to take off all his clothes. The subject began going through his items, including a backpack, containing all of his (Richie’s) personal items.”

Richie alleged the subject threatened to “‘put one in him’” before he grabbed the TV and fled the home, along with Trice, Hicks said.

“(Richie) grabbed a gun from his room and chased after the subject,” Hicks said. “Once outside, the subject turned around and saw that (Richie) had a gun.

“He wasn’t sure if the subject shot at him, but knew he saw him point a black-colored gun. (Richie) fired four shots at the subject.”

Richie further reported “the subject” got in the backseat of a white passenger vehicle and fled the scene, Hicks said.

“Once the subject left, he went outside and realized that Trice had been shot and was laying on the ground at the end of his driveway, near the street,” Hicks said.

Richie, Hicks said, reported he then got in his vehicle and attempted to chase the suspect(s) vehicle, but lost sight of it in the area of Main and Maud streets.

“He then went to the an area of Pershing Street, between Fifth and Alice, and hid the pistol underneath a trash bag on the side of the road,” Hicks said. “He then returned to his residence and made contact with officers.”

The pistol was recovered.

Lt. Josh Stewart said the “suspect” has not been identified, “if he even exists. We’re trying to determine if that portion of the story is even what happened.”

Richie is being held in the Butler County jail on a $50,000 cash or surety bond. He was to make his initial appearance Thursday morning before Associate Circuit Judge C. Wade Pierce.