State v. Pero

OPINION

BLATZ, Chief Justice

Appellant, Michael Elwin Pero, was initially charged by complaint with two counts of second-degree murder (causing death while committing kidnapping or false imprisonment) and one count of attempted first-degree sexual conduct (causing injury and using force or violence to accomplish sexual penetration). The charges arose out of appellant’s criminal behavior beginning September 26, 1996, when appellant admittedly kidnapped, imprisoned, sexually assaulted, and eventually killed Michael Dean King. On February 19, 1997, the St. Louis County Grand Jury indicted…