Man charged in child’s 2023 death has trial scheduled for April
Ryan Shiner
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
A Columbia man who is charged with felony murder in the 2023 shooting death of a child has a trial scheduled for the spring.
Larry Brownlee Jr., 31, was charged with illegal gun possession, second-degree felony murder and armed criminal action. He is being held at the Boone County Jail without bond. A judge on Wednesday scheduled a pretrial conference for 9 a.m. Friday, March 30, 2026 and the trial starts 9 a.m. Tuesday, April 7, 2026.
Police responded on Sunday, Sept. 24, 2023 to the area of Leeway Drive and Blue Ridge Road, according to previous reporting. A 3-year-old boy had been shot in the torso and two adults were rushing him to Columbia Fire Station No. 9 for help, according to a press release at the time.
Police then took the child to a local hospital, where he later died. Court documents indicated the mother of the child gave conflicting statements.
Investigators found blood on the steps and landing of an apartment where the mother lived, the probable cause statement in previous reporting says. She told police when she was interviewed again that she was in the kitchen when she heard a gunshot in the bedroom, according to the statement.
Court documents claimed Brownlee repeatedly asked the mother not to tell the police he shot her son.