Prosecutors bump up murder charge against Springfield man
Prosecutors have sought to upgrade the murder charge against a Springfield man accused of killing his girlfriend.
Paperwork was filed April 5 to change the second-degree charge against 39-year-old Shawn Turner to first-degree murder. The change indicates prosecutors believe they can prove Turner deliberated before the killing.
A judge will have to approve the change in charges.
If convicted of first-degree murder, Turner could face life in prison without the possibility of parole or the death penalty.
Police say Turner fatally shot his girlfriend Kristi Spurlock, 31, in January inside the couple's home at 1641 W. Whiteside St.
Turner then shot himself in the head but survived, according to police.
A probable cause statement in the case says Turner was arrested on Jan. 11 after a brief standoff at the home on Whiteside Street.
The statement says Turner told police he shot Spurlock three or four times during an argument over money before shooting himself, then going to sleep.
Officers found bloody footprints inside the home and drag marks in the blood that led to Spurlock, the statement said, and a handgun covered in blood was found near her body.
Turner has also been charged with armed criminal action and unlawful possession of a gun. He is being held in the Greene County Jail on $750,000 bond.
A preliminary hearing in this case is scheduled for Tuesday morning.
Court documents say Turner has a prior conviction out of Texas for assault with a deadly weapon.