Man charged in 2020 Cosmo Park killing pleads guilty to manslaughter
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
A Columbia man who was accused in the 2020 death of Jermaine Spain at Cosmo Park has pleaded guilty on Monday to first-degree involuntary manslaughter and second-degree assault.
Maurice Banks Jr., 21, was previously indicted with second-degree murder, first-degree assault and armed criminal action. U.S. Marshals arrested Banks in Las Vegas on May 28, 2022. On Monday, he was sentenced to eight years in prison, with credit for time served. He is currently listed on the Boone County Jail roster.
According to previous reporting, Banks is accused of killing Spain on Nov. 2, 2020, at Cosmo Park in Columbia during a marijuana deal. Previous reporting indicates that police said texts, witnesses and a gun Banks had on him during an arrest three days after the Cosmo Park shooting led to the initial murder charge.
Officers found shell casings at Cosmo Park on Nov. 2, 2020. Three days later, on Nov. 5, 2020, officers chased down Banks and another man in east Columbia. Police said they found a handgun on Banks during the arrest.
According to court documents in previous reporting, text messages allegedly showed Banks asking someone how to "chang (sp) the barrel" of something. A different person then sent Banks a video of how to change the barrel of a Smith & Wesson M&P handgun, court documents said. The detective said the gun is capable of having a barrel able to fire 9 mm or .40-caliber bullets.
Decker said tests done on the gun by the Missouri State Highway Patrol showed that it could have fired the bullets found at Spain's death, according to previous reporting.
A juvenile was arrested on April 23, 2023, in relation to Spain’s death.
Isaiah C. Brunson was also charged with second-degree murder and delivery of a controlled substance. Brunson, of Kansas City, has a hearing scheduled for 10 a.m. Monday, April 8.
According to previous reporting, court documents said Brunson went to the park to help sell marijuana to a group of people. Police said Brunson allegedly told officers the other group of people started shooting during the drug deal. Police said marijuana was found on Brunson after he drove himself to a hospital for treatment of his gunshot wound.
