Morgan granted continuance

Monday morning in a Dunklin County courtroom,Thomas Earl Marshall, attorney for Shawn Morgan, 43, of Senath, Mo., filed a motion for continuance of Morgan's preliminary hearing.

The motion was granted by Judge John C. Spielman, citing "good cause." A new date for the preliminary hearing was scheduled for Dec. 2, 2011, at 1 p.m.

Originally, Morgan was scheduled to appear before Judge Spielman at 1:30 p.m., Monday afternoon on charges in the case concerning the disappearance and death of three-year-old BreeAnn Rodriguez, also of Senath.

When Morgan was arrested on Aug. 13, of this year, he was originally charged with felony counts of first degree murder, armed criminal action and tampering with physical evidence in connection with the case, additional charges soon followed as investigation into the case continued.

On Tuesday, Aug. 30, and again on Monday, Sept. 12, addititional charges were filed with the court against Morgan which included felony A kidnapping and an additional offense of a class C offense of possession of child pornography. Dunklin County Prosecuting Attorney Stephen P. Sokoloff also filed a notice of statutory aggravating circumstances which is a procedural step that is required of him if at one time the Prosecutor's office wishes to seek the death penalty in the case.

Sokoloff noted in a previous article that he has spoken with BreeAnn's parents about the issue and they were in support of him taking that step.

For the first three court appearances, Morgan appeared without representation but eventually filed for and was assigned two public defenders, Thomas Marshall and Charles Moreland, from the Columbia, Mo. office who appeared with him in court on Tuesday, Oct. 4.

Rodriguez first went missing on Saturday, Aug. 6, near her home in Senath.

A search for the child ensued which included various law enforcement agencies including the Federal Bureau of Investigation Task Force, Dunklin County Sheriff's Department, Missouri State Highway Patrol, Kennett Police Department and the Bootheel Drug Task Force as well as many area volunteers from the community.

Morgan was arrested and charged in the disappearance and death of the child on Saturday, Aug. 13, and on Tuesday, Aug. 16, the young child's remains were located near the floodway ditches northeast of Hornersville, Mo., approximately eight miles southeast of her home in Senath.