Laddonia Man Charged with First Degree Murder in Shooting Death of Matthew Stewart

First Degree Murder charges have been filed by the Audrain County prosecutor’s office against a man from Laddonia for the shooting death of a man found in rural Vandalia. The suspect, 18-year-old Christopher Brickey, is currently being held in the Audrain County Jail without bond.

According to a press release from Audrain County Sheriff Matt Oller, the victim has been identified as 23-year-old Matthew Stewart, a resident of Vandalia. Another juvenile suspect is also in custody of the Audrain County Juvenile Office for first-degree murder and armed criminal action. The juvenile’s case is pending a mandatory hearing for adult certification.

Deputies discovered Stewart’s body on Thursday afternoon along Audrain Road 556. The victim had suffered multiple gunshot wounds. Court records reveal that Brickey admitted to investigators that he and the juvenile went to confront Stewart regarding a previous dispute.

The motive behind the shooting appears to be a robbery for Stewart’s firearm and a previous altercation between Stewart and a member of the suspect’s family, according to the Audrain County Sheriff’s Office. Brickey stated that the juvenile wanted to shoot the victim and asked Brickey to shoot first.

During the incident, Brickey admitted to shooting Stewart, causing him to flee. The juvenile then began shooting at Stewart as well. Brickey confessed that both he and the juvenile approached Stewart’s body and fired multiple shots.

Brickey is scheduled to make his initial court appearance on December 5th at 11am. The investigation into the shooting is ongoing, and further details have not been released at this time.

This tragic incident has left the community in shock and mourning the loss of Matthew Stewart. The Audrain County Sheriff’s Office is urging anyone with information about the case to come forward and assist with the ongoing investigation.