Cape man arraigned on murder charges in Wayne County

GREENVILLE, Mo. -- A Cape Girardeau man accused of killing another man and leading authorities on an extensive search earlier this month made his first appearance Thursday in a Wayne County courtroom.

Wayne County Circuit Clerk Darren Garrison said Michael Burkman, 47, appeared before Associate Circuit Judge Randy Schuller and was arraigned Thursday morning on charges of first-degree murder and armed criminal action.

A preliminary hearing was set for 1 p.m. March 24.

Burkman, who had been staying in the Lowndes area, is accused of killing John C. Fowler by shooting the 57-year-old man multiple times with a shotgun.

Fowler, of St. Peters, Missouri, who most recently had been staying at the Heaven's Hope Campground in the Hiram area, was found dead about 11:15 a.m. Feb. 1 on a county road near the private campground.

Burkman was the subject of a multicounty manhunt for four days and was arrested Feb. 4 in the northwest corner of the state.

Burkman is accused of stealing a 2001 GMC pickup from a McGee, Missouri, resident earlier in the day.

Just before 10 p.m. Feb. 4, Missouri State Highway Patrol officials in Troop H reportedly received information about Burkman's possible location.

Troop H patrolmen saw Burkman in the alleged stolen vehicle southbound on Interstate 29 in Andrew County and attempted to stop the truck, according to a news release.

The truck allegedly failed to yield, and a pursuit ensued southbound on Interstate 29, and entered Platte County.

The pursuit continued on various county roads, when officers lost sight of the vehicle, police reported.

A short time later, Platte County authorities reported the truck had been involved in a traffic crash.

The crash happened at 10:08 p.m. in Buchanan County.

According to earlier reports, Burkman crashed the pickup on Highway 45 in Weston, which is southwest of St. Joseph, Missouri, when he failed to stop at a stop sign and struck another vehicle.

Burkman was arrested without incident and had been held in the Platte County Jail without bond since his arrest.

Southeast Missourian reporter Katherine Webster contributed to this report.