Death
sentence commuted to life without parole by Missouri Supreme
Court on October 28, 2003.
State of Missouri v. Andre D. Morrow
968 S.W. 2d 100 (Mo.banc 1998)
Oral
arguments on appeal to Missouri Supreme Court
Case
Facts: On April 10, 1994, twenty-four year
old Andre Morrow was introduced to Richard Gooch. Goochs apartment in St. Louis was
known as a safe place where people could smoke cocaine in "quietness and
peacefulness." Morrow took advantage of this atmosphere and smoked cocaine with Gooch
for much of the afternoon. Eventually, Morrow left Goochs "to go get some
money."
In the early hours of April 11, 1994, Morrow went to an
Amoco gas station and stole Lisa Smiths Chevy Nova, while Smith paid for her
gasoline. Morrow returned to Goochs with Smiths car and a black purse.
Informing Gooch that he was going to get more money, Morrow left and traveled to Northwest
Plaza. Still in Smiths car, Morrow drove close to Yn Ye Kuo-who was walking towards
the restaurant where she worked- and asked, "Wheres the Sears?" Morrow
then grabbed her purse and drove away. Morrow returned to Goochs later that morning
with Kuos purse and about $500. He told Gooch, "Pops, when I go for it-when I
go get it, I get it." He then gave Gooch $40. Gooch and Morrow passed the remainder
of the day smoking cocaine.
The following afternoon Morrow and his friend Mario Page
abandoned Smiths car and stole Robert Herods Fiero from in front of
Herods apartment, Later that afternoon, Morrow and Page purchased a .38 caliber
pistol. The two then traveled to the corner of Cora and Maragaretta in the City of St.
Louis, and saw eighteen year old Roamel Abercrombie. Abercrombie was walking to a nearby
store to purchase some orange juice. He was carrying one dollar. Morrow got out of the
car, approached Abercrombie, and said "Give me all your shit, Give me all you got. If
you want Ill shoot your ass." Morrow fired a shot into the air, scattering the
people in the area. Morrow marched Abercrombie to a nearby vacant lot and demanded his
money. Abercrombie gave Morrow his dollar. Morrow took Abercrombie farther into the lot
and murdered him, shooting him in the back of the head. Morrow then told Page that they
needed to get out of town, They drove to Belleville, Illinois, where they left
Herods car and stole Fred Mastons Oldsmobile Cutlass. They later returned to
Goochs with more cocaine. Morrow explained to Gooch that he had gotten into a
misunderstanding with regards to a drug deal and he had to "put the little guy to
sleep."
After several more car thefts, Morrow entered into an
altercation with John Koprowski as Morrow was trying to steal his jeep. Koprowski
responded that, "Im not going to let you do this" and grabbed
Morrows gun. He attempted to fight off Morrow and Page, who were both biting him.
Morrow regained control of the gun and grabbed Koprowskis keys from the ground.
Koprowski remained on the ground. As Morrow stood above Koprowski, he shouted "Get
up, you son of a bitch"-then he shot Koprowski once in the head. The bullet entered
his head just above the tip of his nose and traveled through his body until it came to
rest between his ribs. Morrow and Page jumped into the jeep and before leaving observed
that he was still alive. Koprowski bled to death from the gunshot wound.
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