Cape teen charged with murder in road rage incident

A Cape Girardeau teenager has been charged by the Jackson County (Missouri) Prosecuting Attorney's Office with second-degree murder for allegedly killing a man in a road rage shooting Wednesday, April 19.

Charles Smith Jr., 18, was arrested after a 17-hour manhunt stretching from Wednesday into Thursday following a deadly shooting on Interstate 70 near an exit to Oak Grove, Missouri.

According to the probable cause statement, State Highway Patrol and Oak Grove Police Department were notified around 4:20 p.m. Wednesday of a road-rage incident involving two vehicles on the eastbound lane of the interstate.

A green Ford pickup truck traveled of the south side of I-70, entering an outer road before crashing into a parked car at a nearby gas station.

Law enforcement on the scene found one bullet hole in the driver's door of the truck and a gunshot victim inside. The victim was later identified as Gary Denham, 53, of Oak Grove. Denham later died from his injuries.

Eyewitness accounts said a white Hyundai sedan was in the left lane on I-70, traveling alongside the truck in the right

One witness said they heard a popping noise prior to Denham's vehicle traveling off the roadway. Another said the sedan was driving erratically and then overtook and struck the truck causing it to travel off the roadway. Police officers found a white paint transfer on the driver's side of the truck.

The sedan was spotted by state troopers traveling east on I-70. Law enforcement attempted to make a traffic stop and later utilized spike strips to stop the vehicle. The sedan came to a stop in a field near the 69 mile marker of the interstate after about a 20-mile chase.

Through a records search, investigators identified the vehicle as belonging to Smith. The suspect had been previously arrested by state troopers in March.

Officers received a tip Thursday morning that placed Smith at a convenience store in Sweet Springs, Missouri. Law enforcement began canvassing the area. Smith was found three hours later behind an automotive shop in Sweet Springs and subsequently taken into custody.

According to the statement, Smith said during questioning that he was involved in a road-rage incident with the green truck and that the driver of the truck was driving aggressively, making obscene gestures and cut Smith off. Smith said the truck hit his car multiple times.

Later in the interview, Smith said he fired a "warning shot" at the pickup tuck because he said was afraid his vehicle was going to be overturned. He said he didn't know he hit anyone.

The suspect said he used a "Mini Draco 7.62x39mm" -- a Romanian AK47 pistol -- to fire the shot. The probable cause statement said Smith initially was untruthful about where the firearm was before admitting he threw it out of the passenger window after he ran over the spike strips. A Mini Draco was recovered on the shoulder of I-70 between the 68.2 and 68.4 mile markers.

Investigators discovered a 7.62x39mm caliber shell casing in the sedan, Thursday.

Jackson County prosecutors have also charged Smith with alleged unlawful use of a weapon and two counts of armed criminal action. If found guilty, the murder charge carries a minimum prison sentence of 10 years and a maximum of 30.

Smith is being held in lieu of $250,000 bond.