MURPHYSBORO – A Cairo man was found guilty Thursday of First-degree Murder in Jackson County Court in the October 2022 shooting death of 18-year-old Jacob C. Gary of Cape Girardeau during unofficial Halloween in Carbondale.

Jackson County State’s Attorney Marsha Cascio-Hale says 23-year-old Daurice T. Morse faces a sentence of 45 years to natural life in prison for Gary’s murder in the 500 block of South Illinois Avenue on Oct. 23, 2022.

Carbondale Police were on patrol in the 200 block of West College Street when a disturbance within a large crowd erupted on South Illinois Avenue. As police were responding, two gunshots were heard south of the initial disturbance. Police ran toward the direction of the gunshots and found Gary unresponsive from a gunshot wound that entered through his back and exited his chest. Gary was pronounced dead at Memorial Hospital in Carbondale. Police later identified Morse as the shooter.

Carbondale Police obtained an arrest warrant for Morse. Morse evaded law enforcement for nearly five months and was arrested on an Illinois warrant by the U.S. Marshal Service.