Man shoots, kills 27-year-old woman and gets help burning body, Missouri cops say

Three men have been arrested after the body of a 27-year-old woman was found in a brush fire, Missouri authorities say.

Bradley Keith, one of the three men charged in the Cedar County case, said he accidentally shot Shaniya Haynes on Jan. 16 when the two were struggling over a gun, according to court documents.

Following the advice of his acquaintances, Brandon Choate and Jimi Cole, he then set out to dispose of her remains, Keith told authorities, a probable cause statement shows.

Keith received help from Choate and Cole in burning Haynes’ body in a brush pile, patrol officers said. One of the acquaintances supplied motor oil to act as an accelerant and a torch to start the fire, while the other helped Keith put her body into the fire.

But according to additional court documents obtained by the Springfield News-Leader, Choate and Cole only helped because they were forced to at gunpoint.

Authorities identified Haynes as the victim through the use of DNA testing, according to Cedar County Sheriff James McCrary.

Keith, Choate and Cole were charged with tampering with physical evidence and abandonment of a corpse, the sheriff said. Murder charges have not been filed as of Jan. 25.

“Keith expressed remorse over the death of (Haynes) and said her death was an accident,” according to the court records. “Keith stated he loved (Haynes) and did not intend for the death of (Haynes).”

Haynes, of Joplin, was a mother to five children, according to her Facebook page.

Joplin is about 155 miles south of Kansas City.

This story was originally published January 25, 2024 at 12:53 PM with the headline "Man shoots, kills 27-year-old woman and gets help burning body, Missouri cops say."