Springfield woman pleads guilty to manslaughter; one family calls her 'hero'

Marya Von Brandt, the Springfield woman charged with the shooting death of 41-year-old Kevin Engh in 2012, accepted a plea deal Thursday morning.

Von Brandt, who was 18 at the time of the shooting and 23 today, was sentenced to nine years in prison for involuntary manslaughter and armed criminal action. All of the time she has served — four years, seven months and counting — will be credited toward her sentence.

Except for a few months she spent at Fulton State Hospital under evaluation, Von Brandt has been in the Greene County Jail since Nov. 6, 2012. That is longer than any other current inmate. 

She was initially charged with second-degree murder. Von Brandt was accused of killing Engh with a gunshot to the head at an apartment building at 2009 E. Grand St. She told police that she had previously performed a sex act with him for money. 

According to previous testimony from an officer, Von Brandt said, "I was on a date. He pulled a gun on me." 

Todd Myers, the prosecutor who has been assigned to the case all this time, said he was relieved it was over.

"It allows the victim's family to have closure and be able to move on from this event," Myers said. "There is no outcome that can bring Kevin back, but they understood why the state entered the agreement we did (Thursday)."

Von Brandt has always maintained she acted in self-defense. 

Vanessa Stirewalt — a Branson woman sitting in the courtroom Thursday — said she believes Von Brandt. Stirewalt has never met Von Brandt, but she wanted to be there when a judgement was handed down.

To Stirewalt, Von Brandt is a hero.

Stirewalt's 34-year-old sister, Ashley Harrison, has been in a West Plains nursing home since 2003, a few months after Harrison started dating Engh. 

Harrison cannot walk or talk or care for herself. Sitting outside the courtroom after the hearing, Stirewalt said she blames Engh for her sister's injuries in an unrelated incident years before he was shot to death.

A few minutes later, Von Brant's grandparents, Meredith and David Adams, and her aunt, Mariya Adams, emerged from the courtroom. 

Stirewalt approached the trio and introduced herself. 

"She is kind of like my hero," a crying Stirewalt said of Von Brandt.

David Adams, Von Brandt's grandfather, handed her a Kleenex. 

"Bless your heart," he said, patting Stirewalt's arm.

Stirewalt explained what her family believes happened to Harrison in 2003. She and Engh had just started dating, Stirewalt said. During an argument, Engh pushed Harrison out of a moving truck, breaking her leg and arm, Stirewalt continued. Harrison was eventually put on life support.

"When we took her off (life support), her body just started working again," Stirewalt said. "She was in a vegetative state for a couple years and now she is like a 9-month-old."

Stirewalt showed Von Brandt's family a photo of Harrison in the nursing home. The group exchanged contact information.

"If you could, let (Von Brandt) know that we have been thinking about her," Stirewalt said. "We have been praying for her."

Meredith Adams nodded.

"Oh, thank you," Meredith Adams said.

The News-Leader attempted Thursday to verify Stirewalt's account.

Neither the West Plains Police Department nor Howell County Sheriff's Office have investigative records dating back to 2003. It appears Engh was never charged for assaulting Harrison. 

Engh's family did not attend Thursday's hearing.

Von Brandt's case

Though at least one expert witness called in 2015 said Von Brandt functioned like she was 9 or 10 years old, Von Brandt was found fit to stand trial following a lengthy mental evaluation. 

Mariya Adams, Von Brandt's aunt who also has a master's in psychology, described her niece as "stunted, with difficulty understanding what is realistic."

Adams, along with Von Brandt's grandparents David and Meredith, told the News-Leader that Von Brandt had a troubled childhood and teenage years. She has a long history of mental health struggles and she had been molested, they said.

Von Brandt was getting into trouble in the year or so before the shooting, they said.

According to News-Leader reports, Von Brandt had told police the gun just went off when Engh was shot. Police said her story changed multiple times during hours of questioning.

One version of Von Brandt's story, according to police, involved Von Brandt going to an apartment near Park Central Square for meth. Once in the vehicle, according to this version, Engh requested oral sex, he hit her with a gun, she fought for the gun and shot Engh.

Police say Engh had previously paid Von Brandt for sex. Engh was on the sex offender list for patronizing prostitution. 

In court on Thursday, Myers, the prosecutor, explained the reason for the lesser charge of involuntary manslaughter. 

"It was a reckless act. She intended to use self-defense, (but used) more force than necessary," he said. 

Four years, seven months

Von Brandt was booked into Greene County Jail on Nov. 6, 2012. She spent a few months at the Department of Mental Health's Fulton State Hospital.

She has been in Greene County Jail longer than any other inmate. The next is Craig Wood, accused of killing 11-year-old Hailey Owens. Wood was booked in February 2014.

David and Meredith Adams, both retired Missouri State University history professors, say they have visited Von Brandt every week since she was arrested. 

They said there have been times when Von Brandt shared a cell with five other inmates. The inmates would take turns sleeping up against the toilet, the Adams said. 

"They are wedging them in sideways there," Meredith Adams said.

"We don't blame the sheriff. We don't blame the jail. Because they are operating under severe hardships," David Adams said. "We recognize the jail and sheriff have this terrible problem of not enough space and too darn many people."

Last spring the couple was interviewed by News-Leader columnist Steve Pokin about their failed attempts to send a Bible to Von Brandt.

"My current effort is to get her some crossword puzzle books," Meredith Adams said with a smile.