Tuesday, February 27, 2018

Murder charge against Joplin man may cause his probation to be revoked

Accusations of shooting and stabbing people did not make the court reconsider Artilius Jordan's probation, but there is a chance- just a chance- that being charged with killing a man just might be the final straw.

It did not happen Monday during a hearing before Judge David Mouton in Jasper County Circuit Court. Jordan, who is being held in the Jasper County Jail, charged with first degree murder, two counts of assault and three counts of armed criminal action, including the shooting death of Sean Harris of Joplin.

Jordan, who did not attend the hearing, was represented by attorney Jonathan Pierce. Mouton set another hearing for 1 p.m. April 16.

Court records indicate Jordan was free to allegedly kill Harris only because his probation was not revoked after the earlier violent incidents.

As noted in the December 25 Turner Report, Jordan, who allegedly shot Sean Harris to death, was charged with assault after allegedly shooting Corey M. Walstead, 23, Diamond. The shooting took place at a time when Jordan was already serving a five-year probation after pleading guilty on July 28, 2014 to a felony burglary charge.

Walstead told Joplin Police officers the shooting took place at Jordan's apartment and after executing a search warrant at the apartment, the police seized evidence and arrested Jordan.

Though a probation violation citation was made, the judge continued Jordan's probation and did not extend the probation period.

No record of the assault charge remains on Jasper County Circuit Court online records indicating the charges were dropped.

Apparently, the same thing happened with another violent crime Jordan allegedly committed.

A blood-soaked Stanley Watkins, 35 at the time, told Joplin Police on January 3, 2013 that Jordan stabbed him.

The probable cause statement said Watkins had been stabbed in the shoulder, abdomen and had a cut to the face.

When police arrived at Jordan's apartment, he said he had been asleep and did not know anything about the stabbing.

The officer did not believe Jordan's story, since Jordan had blood on his hands and pants and a bloody pillowcase was in plain sight just inside the apartment doorway.

Jordan was charged with first degree assault and armed criminal action.

Those charges were also dropped at some point.

Artilius Jordan shot Sean Harris in cold blood on Christmas Eve because he believed Harris was having sex with his girlfriend, according to a probable cause statement filed Tuesday in Jasper County Circuit Court.

According to the probable cause statement on Christmas Eve Jordan, 47 went to a home at 627 S. Byers Avenue where his girlfriend was and where Harris was visiting, to confront him, according to the statement. Jordan was accompanied by Moses Ramsey and Joseph Czahor.

Harris was coming down the stairs of the apartment building when Jordan pulled a handgun and with Ramsey's encouragement, shot Harris at least twice, with one of the shots hitting him in the chest, according to the probable cause statement. Harris died at Freeman West Hospital.

Ramsey forced the girlfriend into the pickup and as they drove away, Jordan began beating the girlfriend, according to the probable cause statement.

"As Jordan was assaulting (the girlfriend) in the backseat of the extended cab pickup, the handgun went off, shooting Czahor in the back. Czahor dropped off the other passengers and drove himself to Freeman Hospital."

Ramsey, 27, Joplin, and Jordan were both charged with first degree murder, two counts of assault and three counts of armed criminal action.




The preliminary hearings for Jordan and Ramsey are scheduled for 10 a.m. Thursday before Judge Joseph Hensley.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I just hope if I get pulled over for going 5 or 10 above the speed limit that they show me as much leniency as they have this career criminal.

Completely ridiculous that he wasn't previously revoked.

I would say the family of the victim has a very good case against the State. If they had done their job the man wouldn't be dead.