A neighborhood cookout just north of Fairground Park turned into a homicide trial, and now it has a split verdict to match.
A St. Louis jury on Wednesday found 32-year-old Turley Smith not guilty of first-degree murder and armed criminal action in the death of 44-year-old Percy Bowman, but convicted him of unlawful possession of a firearm. The shooting happened March 15, 2025, and trial testimony said Bowman was struck 17 times by a high-powered rifle. Smith told the court he opened fire only after Bowman allegedly pulled a pistol and racked the slide, saying he feared for his life. A judge will set a sentencing date on the unlawful-possession conviction later.
What Jurors Heard
Prosecutors described a chaotic scene at the cookout, telling jurors that Smith fired multiple rounds and that Bowman was shot while lying on the ground. According to trial testimony, Smith insisted he acted in self-defense and denied standing over Bowman and continuing to fire. Those details, along with the jury’s split decision, were reported by First Alert 4.
State Law And The Gun Charge
Under Missouri law, people with prior felony convictions are barred from possessing firearms, and unlawful possession of a firearm is typically prosecuted as a felony. State code treats unlawful possession as a class C felony in most situations, with enhancements possible in certain cases. As outlined in Missouri Revised Statutes §571.070, that legal framework helps explain how prosecutors can secure a weapons conviction even when jurors turn down homicide counts.
What Comes Next
Jurors convicted Smith on the weapons count after hearing he has a 2014 felony robbery conviction that bars him from legally having a gun. Judge Clinton Wright plans to set a sentencing hearing on the unlawful-possession conviction at a later date, according to court coverage. The mixed result, acquittals on murder and armed criminal action but a guilty verdict on the gun charge, leaves Smith’s self-defense claim and the state’s account of the shooting as the key points likely to echo through the case as it moves into sentencing, as reported by First Alert 4.
