Breeann Rodriguez Missing: Father of Three Charged With Murder
Police have not identified the suspect or released the charges.
Aug. 13, 2011— -- A father of three has been charged with first-degree murder in the case of Breeann Rodriguez, the 3-year-old who went missing on Aug. 6 while riding her pink bicycle in her Senath, Mo., neighborhood.
Shawn Morgan, 43, sits in the Dunklin County Jail, awaiting an arraignment which will be scheduled Monday, Dunklin County Sheriff's Department spokesman Mike McCammon said this afternoon.
Dunklin County Prosecuting Attorney Stephen Sokoloff said that in addition to first degree murder, Morgan was charged with armed criminal action and tampering with physical evidence.
"Morgan is charged with causing the death of Breeann Rodriguez, 3-years old, also of Senath, by suffocating her," Sokoloff told ABC affiliate KAIT-TV. "The charge is that he did this on Aug. 6, the day that she went missing."
Sheriff's deputies, Missouri State Highway Patrol, FBI agents, officers from the Senath Police Department and volunteers searched throughout the day for Breeann's body, McCammon said, adding that he wasn't authorized to disclose any other details.
The search was to resume Sunday morning.
Morgan was quietly arrested around 11 p.m. Friday, said Debra Miller, who lives across the street and learned from someone else that her decade-long neighbor had been taken into police custody.
"Earlier we had noticed items being taken out of the house by the FBI," Miller, 51, said. "His wife just came over and said they were taking out computers and just bags of stuff. ... Of course she was upset but trying to believe the best."
Morgan worked in a steel factory in nearby Blytheville, Ark., Miller said.
"Our street is a dead-end street. We watch after each other's children. Our grandchildren have been here all summer," she said. "This is so shocking. It's hard to believe. ... He's such a small-built man, about 5'6," maybe 130 or 140 popunds, real meek. And just always seemed like a real nice guy."
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