On the morning of April 15, 2018, police in Sedalia, Missouri, responded to a distress call at a residence on the 300 block of North Summit Avenue. Upon arrival, officers discovered 42-year-old Maurice Harper, a male resident of the home, lying near the property with a severe gunshot wound to his chest caused by buckshot. Emergency responders transported him to Bothwell Regional Health Center, but he succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead shortly after arrival.
The initial investigation at the scene revealed that the shooting had occurred earlier that Sunday morning, and witnesses reported hearing gunshots and seeing individuals fleeing the area.
Law enforcement quickly identified two suspects in connection with the homicide: brothers Eric Harper and Antonio Harper, both from Illinois. While Eric was apprehended in Sedalia the same morning, Antonio had fled the scene. He was reportedly injured during the exchange of gunfire and was later located at a gas station in Warrenton, Missouri, where authorities arrested him and transported him to a hospital for treatment. Investigators learned that the brothers had traveled to the residence, allegedly to purchase drugs, and an altercation ensued which escalated into the fatal shooting. Antonio later claimed to authorities that he had returned fire only after being shot at first.
Both men faced serious charges related to the incident. Antonio Harper was originally charged with first-degree assault, armed criminal action, first-degree robbery, and unlawful use of a weapon. He eventually accepted a plea deal, pleading guilty to first-degree burglary, and was sentenced to 15 years in prison in June 2019. Eric Harper, who had been found with blood on his clothing and admitted to being at the scene, was initially charged with similar offenses, including first-degree assault. In August 2019, he also pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of first-degree burglary and received a 13-year prison sentence.
