DANVILLE — A 33-year Missouri man smoked marijuana with a motel employee at the Super 8 in Valley Township then shot him in the head Thursday, according to state troopers.
David Earle Downing, of St. Louis, is being held without bail on homicide charges filed by Milton state police.
Troopers say Downing and the employee entered the employee's room when a fight ensued about an alleged rape of Downing's girlfriend, 25-year-old Miqueal La Myra Brown, who also faces charges of hindering apprehension and providing false reports to law enforcement personnel.
That's when Downing fired a pistol one to three times, striking the victim in the head and killing him, troopers said.
Troopers were called to the Super 8 by Wyndham Danville, located at 35 Sheraton Road, at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday for a report of a sexual assault, according to court documents.
Brown told police she met another patron of the hotel and she and the man began to smoke marijuana and she ended up on the bed of her room and was under the influence of what she believed to be "Molly" or ecstasy, according to court documents.
Brown told troopers that's when three males began to rape her, troopers said. Brown said later she noticed two of the individuals working at the motel and believed they were responsible for the rape, troopers said.
Brown told troopers she noticed that her suitcase and her boyfriend's suitcase had been gone through and that her 9 mm Taurus PT 111 with a 12-round magazine handgun had been stolen, according to court documents.
Troopers said they were dispatched back to the motel Thursday for a report of a deceased male employee of the motel.
A maintenance employee told troopers he found the victim in the room. The victim had been staying in the room at the motel, according to court documents.
When troopers entered the room they said they saw the man on the floor with a gunshot wound to the head and two spent 9 mm shell casings near the victim.
Police discovered Downing was a suspect, located him and transported him to the Milton barracks where he denied knowing anything about the shooting, troopers said.
Eventually, Downing admitted he confronted the victim about the alleged rape and the two entered a room where they smoked pot and began to fight, police said.
During their struggle, Downing pulled out the weapon and fired one to three shots which struck the victim in the head, Downing told police.
Downing then left the hotel with Brown, got in her vehicle and placed the weapon in her glove box, according to court documents.
Downing was arraigned by District Judge Marvin Shrawder and sent to Montour County Prison without bail.
Brown is being held in Columbia County on $100,000 bail.
