Family members of a pregnant Columbia woman who was shot and killed last summer sobbed in open court Friday, as a Columbia man admitted his guilt.
939 the Eagle News was at the Boone County Courthouse for Friday’s hearing, where 33-year-old Sevance Brewer, who has worked as a waiter, pleaded guilty to two counts of second degree murder. Brewer displayed no emotion as he told Boone County Circuit Court Brouck Jacobs that he shot and killed the pregnant woman, and, in the process, killed the unborn child as well.
The woman was identified in open court only by her initials, which are BT. The August 2023 deaths happened during an argument on Clearview drive, which is about a mile from the Columbia city limits. Boone County assistant prosecutor Susan Boresi and defense attorney Kevin O’Brien worked on the plea agreement. Under the plea agreement, one first degree murder charge was amended to second degree murder and Boone County prosecutors dropped three other charges: two counts of armed criminal action and unlawful possession of a firearm.
Judge Jacobs sentences Brewer to life in prison for two counts of second degree murder. While the plea agreement makes Brewer eligible for parole, he’ll have to serve at least 85 percent of 30 years to be considered for parole. That’s because Missouri state law calculates a life sentence at 30 years.
Court documents say that he killed the pregnant woman in front of two small children. The Columbia Police Department’s probable cause statement says the 27-year-old victim was four months pregnant when she was shot in the head and killed, during the argument. Boone County Sheriff’s Captain Brian Leer told 939 the Eagle News that day in his office that deputies believed this was a case of domestic violence.
Family members of the victim were upset in open court that Brewer did not display any emotion, as he addressed Judge Jacobs.
