ALTON, Mo. — An Oregon County judge ordered a Poplar Bluff man to stand trial Thursday afternoon for murdering a man he believed was making sexual advances toward his girlfriend.
Accompanied by his attorney, Michael Ligons, Kahlil Gregory Omar Smith appeared before Associate Circuit Judge Harvey Allen for a preliminary hearing on the Class A felony of first-degree murder and the unclassified felony of armed criminal action.
Smith is charged with the April 9 shooting death of 39-year-old Daniel A. Carroll of Mammoth Spring, Arkansas.
After hearing the presented evidence, Allen found probable cause to believed the felonies charged had been committed by Smith, 25, of the 700 block of Lexington Street.
Allen ordered Smith be bound over to Circuit Court, where he is to appear at 9 a.m. Monday for arraignment before Circuit Judge Steven Privette.
The charges against Smith stem from an investigation by the Thayer Police Department, Missouri State Highway Patrol and Oregon County Sheriff’s Department.
After arriving at the scene, officers, according to Thayer Assistant Police Chief Luke Martin’s probable-cause statement, conducted a canvas of the neighborhood, which revealed neighbors who had heard the gunshots and saw a white SUV leave the area at a high rate of speed.
The Adams Street home’s occupant, Martin said, identified a Doniphan woman and her boyfriend, who later would be identified as Smith, as having been at her home.
“(The Thayer woman) stated that she had been in the bathroom of the residence and heard multiple gunshots,” Martin said. “When she exited the bathroom, she observed Daniel Carroll lying on the ground of her residence with multiple gunshot wounds.”
Martin said the woman further reported hearing the Doniphan woman and Smith “depart her residence at a high rate of speed. (She) described (the other woman’s) vehicle as a smaller white sports-utility vehicle.”
A description of the SUV was sent out and later stopped on U.S. 160 near Doniphan by Ripley County deputies.
According to earlier reports, the man, identified as Smith, and the Doniphan woman were detained and transported to the Ripley County Sheriff’s Department, where both were interviewed.
Smith, after being told of his rights, reportedly admitted he had been at the Thayer residence, as had his girlfriend and Carroll.
“Smith believed Carroll had been making sexual advances toward (the Doniphan woman), who Smith was in a relationship with,” Martin explained. “Smith also stated that he had been smoking methamphetamine that evening.
“Smith believed that he needed to protect (his girlfriend) and his family.”
Based on this belief, Martin said, Smith allegedly obtained a pistol that he had brought to the residence.
“He told me that he had blacked out and did not remember shooting Carroll, but later stated he thought he had missed when shooting at Carroll,” Martin said. “Smith said that following this incident he recalled forcing (his girlfriend) to drive him away from the residence.”
Smith’s girlfriend, Martin said, reported seeing “Smith fire a handgun multiple times in the direction she had last seen Daniel Carroll.
“(She) denied actually seeing that Carroll had been shot.”
After Smith allegedly fired the handgun, “(she) had run outside the residence, and Smith forced her to drive him away from the residence,” Martin said.