WEST PLAINS — It took about 80 minutes Wednesday for a Howell County jury to find a Poplar Bluff man guilty of the 2016 bludgeoning death of his fiancee’s grandmother.
An eight-man and four-woman retired to begin its deliberations at 5:30 p.m. in the case of Eric Wyatt, after having heard testimony for about 10 witnesses for the state during the two-day trial. The defense did not call any witnesses.
The jury was asked to decide whether, based on the evidence, the 42-year-old committed the Class A felonies of first-degree murder and first-degree robbery and two unclassified felonies of armed criminal action (ACA) in connection with the Sept. 14, 2016, death of Marion A. Carter.
When the jury reached its verdict at 6:50 p.m., Butler County Prosecuting Attorney Kacey Proctor said, it had found Wyatt guilty of Carter’s murder and its associated ACA charge.
The jury, Proctor said, also convicted Wyatt of a lesser misdemeanor stealing charge (for taking Carter’s wallet) instead of the robbery charge.
“The defense waived jury sentencing prior to the trial,” Proctor said.
Circuit Judge Craig Carter of Douglas County ordered a sentencing assessment report be completed by Probation and Parole and set sentencing for 1:30 p.m. Dec. 16.
At that time, Wyatt faces life without the possibility of probation or parole on the murder charge. The ACA carries a mandatory minimum of three years in prison.
After making his opening statement Tuesday morning, Proctor said, he played the 911 call made by Jessica Ribbing after she found her grandmother’s body. Ribbing also testified.
Proctor said Poplar Bluff Police Cpl. James Henry, who was the first officer to arrive at Carter’s Zehm Avenue home, testified he initially was sent to the home for a possible suicide.
After arriving at the scene and seeing the extent of Carter’s injuries, Henry reportedly testified he realized her death was not a suicide and asked for detectives to respond.
Both detectives Dan Mustain and Andrew Cleaveland, Proctor said, testified about processing the scene.
The detectives reportedly did not find any bloody fingerprints or smudges on surfaces and door knobs in the home where they would have expected to find them.
Cleaveland, Proctor said, testified Carter’s right pants pocket was turned inside out as if “someone had taken something out of her pocket.”
Proctor said police Detective Steve McCane told the jury about how he went to contact Wyatt at the Velma Street apartment he shared with Ribbing.
Wyatt, who was present when Ribbing found Carter’s body, reportedly had been allowed to leave the scene before he was questioned. Wyatt was not considered a suspect at that time.
McCane, according to Proctor, testified when he and Butler County Lt. Charles Phelps went to Wyatt’s apartment, they found Wyatt on the parking lot.
The officers reportedly told the jury about seeing Wyatt pull something from the waistband of his pants and throw it into the woods. Wyatt began walking away from the officers, then took off running.
A wallet containing Carter’s driver’s license reportedly was found during a search of the woods.
Proctor said officers also learned Wyatt had thrown a plastic bag in a dumpster outside his apartment. The bag reportedly contained a pair of men’s denim jeans, which had what McCane described as a blood spot on them.
McCane also told the jury about the four searches officers made of Wyatt’s apartment, Proctor said. The first reportedly was in search of Wyatt after he fled on foot. Officers say that is when Wyatt became the suspect in the case.
During the searches, clothing items, including a pair of tennis shoes with blood splatter, were seized.
Proctor said McCane also testified about contacting Christopher Hellers to see if he knew where his longtime friend might be.
While Hellers initially didn’t know Wyatt’s location, authorities later were contacted after Wyatt called Hellers seeking help to evade law enforcement.
Proctor said McCane went to Hellers’ home and was able to record both sides of conversation between he and Wyatt. That conversation was played for the jury.
After obtaining a phone number for Wyatt, officers executed a warrant to get the phone’s location.
Proctor said Cleaveland testified about how officers went to that location, where Wyatt attempted to flee.
Wyatt subsequently was taken into custody.
After Wyatt’s arrest, he was interviewed by police Capt. J.R. Keirsey and then Trooper Alex Lacey with the Missouri State Highway Patrol’s Division of Drug and Crime Control.
During that interview, Wyatt reportedly told the officers Carter’s bank card was hidden inside his apartment in a vent in an upstairs bedroom and about a pair of boots, with possible blood stains.
Both the card and boots were found during the fourth search of Wyatt’s apartment, Proctor said.
Proctor said police Lt. Josh Stewart testified he was assigned to search Black River for the baseball bat Wyatt told officers he had used in the homicide.
Stewart and other officers reportedly searched Black River, just south of the Bartlett Street bridge and found a bat matching the provided description.
During Wyatt’s interview, Proctor said, Keirsey told the jury Wyatt avoided giving “specific details” about what he was doing the afternoon Carter died.
“His story would change as they tried to pin him down on certain details,” Proctor said. “Then, about half way through the interrogation,” Wyatt “began telling facts about the homicide that could be corroborated with physical evidence.”
During the playing of the approximately three-hour interview, “the jury was able to hear the defendant’s confession,” Proctor said.
Both Stewart and Butler County Chief Deputy Wes Popp, Proctor said, testified about a subsequent search of Black River in early October 2016, about three weeks after the homicide.
According to testimony, Proctor said, Wyatt, who was in the Butler County jail, contacted Popp because he “wanted to get something off his chest. He wanted to tell Chief Deputy Popp where the second murder weapon was.”
Wyatt, Popp said, reported after leaving Carter’s house he put the shirt he was wearing, along with the extension cord he strangled Carter with in a plastic bag and threw it in Black River, just south of the Bartlett Street bridge.
Wyatt reportedly accompanied Popp and other officers to the river to show them where he had thrown the bag.
Arrangements reportedly were made for the highway patrol’s dive team to search the river. A plastic bag containing a shirt, pair of work gloves, extension cord, sunglasses and two bandanas was found.
Although Popp’s initial Oct. 4, 2016, conversation with Wyatt reportedly was not recorded, a second one the next day was, in which Wyatt “reiterated” what he earlier had told Popp.
That recording also was played for the jury.
Proctor said Dr. Russell Deidiker testified Carter died from blunt-force trauma to the head and had what, “in his opinion, were defensive wounds on her forearms and hands.”
After the state rested its case, Wyatt’s attorney, Tim Fleener with the Public Defender’s Office, made his opening statement to the jury and then rested the defense’s case.
When contacted Thursday, Fleener declined comment.