Homicide charges filed in wake of Springfield man's fatal fall from moving vehicle

A 20-year-old East St. Louis man faces first-degree involuntary manslaughter charges in connection to a 2023 north Springfield homicide in which the victim fell from a moving van.

Springfield police accuse Jurvez Hicks of attempting to steal a laptop from Gary Barlow during an attempted exchange near a North Kansas Expressway gas station before Hicks allegedly attempted to flee without paying. Barlow reportedly clung onto Hicks' vehicle before falling off at a nearby Interstate 44 on-ramp and succumbing to injuries from the fall.

A warrant was filed Thursday for Hicks, who police said continued to drive away after Barlow, 46, fell from the moving vehicle. He has yet to be booked into Greene County Jail as of Monday afternoon.

Days after Barlow's death, Springfield police, in an attempt to find potential witnesses, released surveillance photos from a Fast N' Friendly gas station of two people who appear to have been in the van shortly before the incident.

According to a probable cause statement, investigators made contact with the man and woman in the surveillance photo weeks later by tracing the vehicle. They initially claimed that Barlow, who asked if they were interested in purchasing his laptop while stopping at the station, accepted $10 and marijuana in exchange for the device.

Hicks, according to the police report, said that Barlow then tried to take back the laptop after putting the $10 and marijuana in his pocket, but proceeded to drive off as he was being assaulted by Barlow while he hung onto the vehicle.

The detective told Hicks that Barlow did not have cash or marijuana in his pockets when he was found mortally wounded near the freeway, and, according to the police report, Hicks later admitted to stealing the laptop before driving off and attempting to shake him from the vehicle by swerving.

“I was trying to take the computer and I sold it to the guy across the street," Hicks allegedly told the detective.

The detective said he drove to the East St. Louis, Illinois area to meet Hicks for a police interview in August 2023 and said that he matched the description of the man in surveillance photos. Charges were formally filed May 22, 2024.

Barlow's death was one of 19 homicides in Springfield in 2023.

Ryan Collingwood covers a wide range of topics for the News-Leader with an emphasis on public safety. He can be reached by phone at 417-258-8174 and email at [email protected]. You can also follow Ryan on social media at X.com/rwcollingwood

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Homicide charges filed in connection with Springfield man's 2023 death