FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Marsha L. Cascio-Hale, Jackson County State’s Attorney
Friday, February 7, 2025
DAURICE T. MORSE GUILTY OF FIRST-DEGREE MURDER
Marsha L. Cascio-Hale, Jackson County State’s Attorney, announced today that Daurice T. Morse, 23, of Cairo, was found guilty of first-degree murder on Thursday, February 6, 2025, following a bench trial.
In a bench trial lasting almost a week, the State presented evidence that on October 23, 2022, Carbondale police were on foot patrol in the 200 block of West College Street when a disturbance within the crowd erupted in the 500 block of South Illinois Avenue where hundreds of people had gathered for unofficial Halloween. Officers ran toward the disturbance when two gunshots were heard south of the initial disturbance. Officers quickly responded by running toward the direction of the gunshots, where they discovered a victim, later identified as Jacob C. Gary, age 18 of Gape Girardeau, Missouri, unresponsive on the ground suffering from a gunshot wound. Gary was transported to Memorial Hospital of Carbondale where he was pronounced deceased from a gunshot wound that entered through his back and exited his chest. Within hours, investigators with the Carbondale Police Department identified the shooter as Daurice T. Morse of Cario, Illinois.
The Carbondale Police Department obtained an arrest warrant for Morse. After evading law enforcement for nearly 5 months, Morse was arrested on an Illinois warrant by the U.S. Marshal Service.
Jackson County Assistant State’s Attorney, Sophia Allen, led the prosecution of Morse, and after securing a guilty verdict on February 6, 2025, Allen explained that Morse faces a sentence between 45-years and natural life in the Illinois Department of Corrections for the murder of Jacob C. Gary. Allen emphasized that the presence of local law enforcement during this trial shows the dedication that they have in keeping our community safe. “Ms. Allen is a tough litigator, and she was fully prepared to ensure that justice was done in this case,” stated State’s Attorney Marsha Cascio-Hale.
The investigation was led by the Carbondale Police Department and assisted by the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, the Cairo Police Department, the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office, the Alexander County Sheriff’s Office, the Cape Girardeau Police Department, and the U.S. Marshal’s Service, among others.
Allen commended the extensive investigation by law enforcement across multiple jurisdictions and the dedication of the Jackson County State’s Attorney’s Office for their assistance throughout the prosecution of this case. Allen further stated that “Gun violence is a crime that impacts not only the lives of those involved in the case, but our community as well. In order to keep our community safe and to prevent violence in our community, crimes involving gun violence will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
A prosecutor has the responsibility of a minister of justice and not simply that of an advocate. This responsibility carries with it specific obligations to see that the defendant is accorded procedural justice, and that guilt is decided upon the basis of sufficient evidence. Except for statements that are necessary to inform the public of the nature and extent of the prosecutor’s action and that serve a legitimate law enforcement purpose, by Supreme Court Rule, the State’s Attorney is not allowed to make statements about pending cases or investigations which would pose a serious and imminent threat to the fairness of the proceeding. Rule 3.8 Special Responsibilities of a Prosecutor. For a list of certain subjects which have been determined to pose such a threat to the fairness of the proceedings and for a list of subjects which do not, please see Rule 3.6 Trial Publicity. For any press release involving a case which has not yet been tried, please note that: a defendant is presumed to be innocent of a charge until proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of the jury.