HERMANN — The man accused of killing one Hermann policeman and seriously injuring another Sunday night heard the formal charges read against him March 15 in Gasconade County Associate Circuit Court.

Associate Judge Ada Brehe-Krueger outlined the five felony charges facing Kenneth Lee Simpson, 35, in the shooting death of Hermann Det. Sgt. Mason Griffith and the wounding of Hermann Patrolman Adam Sullentrup. The shootings took place shortly after 9 Sunday night inside Casey’s General Store when the policemen confronted Simpson, who was wanted on several outstanding warrants issued in adjacent counties.

After the shooting, Simpson fled to a nearby residence where a standoff took place from Sunday night to early Monday afternoon, ending when police used tear gas to flush out the man who has a lengthy criminal history in area counties.

Simpson made his initial court appearance in this case through a videoconference from the Crawford County Jail, where he is being held without bond.

Brehe-Krueger went to lengths to ensure that Simpson understood the charges —  first-degree murder, first-degree assault, two counts of armed criminal action and a count of unlawful possession of a firearm. The last charges stems from Simpson being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.

Wearing an orange jailhouse jumpsuit and seated in front of a monitor, Simpson said he understood the charges and the range of punishment for each charge.

It appears Gasconade County Prosecuting Attorney Mary E. Weston will be seeking the death penalty for Simpson. After the hearing, which lasted only about 15 minutes, Weston told members of the policemen’s families in attendance that she has contacted the Missouri Attorney General’s Office to step in to prosecute Simpson. The Attorney General’s Office has a team of prosecutors that handles death penalty cases.

“I’ve asked the AG’s Office to take over this case,” Weston said. “Our whole community is rocked right now. This is big-town crap we don’t want to happen in our community,” she added.

Weston said she hoped to hear a response to her request at some point today.

Simpson told Brehe-Krueger that he will hire a private defense attorney if he can find the money; otherwise, he will be represented by a public defender. For today’s hearing, Simpson was represented by 20th Circuit Public Defender Matt Shollenberger of Union.

In another significant development, Brehe-Krueger granted Simpson’s request that she recuse herself from the case. Circuit Court Presiding Judge Craig Hellmann by early Wednesday afternoon had appointed Osage County Associate Circuit Judge Sonya Day Brandt to handle the preliminary  hearing. A date for a preliminary hearing was set for Monday, March 20. That hearing was later cancelled and a different judge was assigned to the case (see related story).

At that time, a hearing will be held regarding the status of Simpson’s legal counsel — whether he was able to retain a private defense attorney or whether he will be appointed a public defender. The state’s Office of Public Defender typically represents defendants facing the death penalty.

The arraignment session this past Wednesday morning was scheduled to begin at 8, but difficulties in establishing the videoconference link delayed the opening of the Gasconade County Courthouse to the public until well past 8. Members of the policemen’s families were escorted into the courthouse while others on hand to attend the hearing were kept locked out. All cell phones or other recording devices were prohibited from being brought into the courthouse and all those entering went through a metal detector.

A large contingent of Hermann Police Department and Gasconade County Sheriff’s Department personnel were on hand for the hearing, both inside the large second-floor courtroom and in the lobby of the courthouse. Unlike the standoff that occurred overnight March 12 and into the afternoon of March 13 that attracted a swarm of news reporters and cameramen, the arraignment was attended only by local newspaper reporters, one representative of a Columbia television station and one St. Louis television station camerman.