Teen charged as adult in Audrain County homicide

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A 17-year-old Monroe County boy was charged Thursday with premeditated murder in Audrain County.

Charles K. Armour, 17, of Paris, Missouri, was charged with first-degree murder and armed criminal action in the Nov. 30, 2023, death of Matthew Stewart. Stewart, 23, was found dead with gunshot wounds on County Road 556 near Vandalia.

A probable cause statement says deputies found Stewart bleeding in a ditch from his head and torso. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Court documents say Armour and Christopher D. Brickey, 18, of Laddonia, Missouri, planned Stewart's death. Brickey and Armour drove to the murder scene, shot Stewart and drove away, documents say.

The motive was robbery -- the robbers wanted the victim's gun -- along with a feud between the victim and a shooter's family member, the sheriff's office said Friday in a news release.

A witness told investigators about the arranged gun sale by Stewart and said that Stewart called them after the shooting, according to the documents. The call dropped when the witness heard more shots, the statement says.

Other witnesses described Armour and Brickey being with Stewart and investigators tracked them down in Paris.

Brickey said during interrogation that he and Armour killed Stewart, citing an ongoing dispute.

Armour has a hearing set for Tuesday.