In the late hours of a Tuesday night in Nevada, Missouri, the life of 28-year-old Brandon Spencer Moreland was tragically cut short. On May 24, 2016, police responded to reports of shots fired in the 800 block of East Ashland. Arriving at an apartment parking lot, they discovered Moreland suffering from several gunshot wounds. He was rushed to Nevada Regional Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
Moreland, a father to two daughters with a third child on the way, was remembered as a man who loved his family deeply.
The investigation into the first homicide in Nevada since 2009 was swift. The Southwest Missouri Major Case Squad was activated, bringing together 25 investigators who immediately began conducting interviews and securing search warrants. Their efforts quickly led them to a person of interest. An extensive search led law enforcement to an apartment in the nearby town of Walker, where valuable evidence was recovered.
A breakthrough in the case came thanks to a citizen's tip. Acting on this information, Vernon County Sheriff's personnel located and arrested 32-year-old Casey G. Anders in the Walker area. Anders, who was on parole from the Missouri Department of Corrections, had been attempting to evade law enforcement. Following an interview with investigators, Anders was charged with voluntary manslaughter, armed criminal action, unlawful possession of a firearm, and possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance. He was booked into the Vernon County Jail with a bond set at $300,000 cash only.
