According to a press release from Frank Spain, Prosecuting Attorney, Tenth Judicial District
A Desha County jury has sentenced Johntavious Owens to 60 years in the Arkansas Department of Corrections for the December 2024 shooting death of Kevin Morgan in McGehee.
According to Prosecuting Attorney Frank Spain, Morgan was found inside a vehicle suffering from a gunshot wound to the head after police responded to reports of gunfire at a residence on North 3rd Street on Dec. 14, 2024. Morgan was pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigators recovered 20 spent shell casings, and evidence presented during the case linked the shooting to Owens. Authorities later located and arrested Owens in Oklahoma City in February 2025 with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service.
Owens pleaded guilty in May to second-degree murder and committing a terroristic act, then requested that a jury determine his sentence.
During a sentencing hearing held June 9 before Circuit Judge Robert Gibson, prosecutors presented testimony from witnesses and members of Morgan’s family. Owens also testified and acknowledged he had intended to shoot another individual who was inside the vehicle.
Following deliberations, the jury sentenced Owens to prison terms and firearm enhancements totaling 720 months, or 60 years. Judge Gibson entered the sentence into the court record.
The case was investigated by the McGehee Police Department and Arkansas State Police and prosecuted by the Tenth Judicial District Prosecutor’s Office.
