Caruthers Gets Prison Sentence in Murder

(Farmington, MO) A Bonne Terre man, 32 year old Anthony Caruthers is going to prison on a life sentence after pleading guilty to all charges against him in the death of Farmington businessman Michael VanStavern in 2016. Caruthers was facing charges of murder in the second degree, armed criminal action, burglary in the second degree, tampering with a motor vehicle, tampering with evidence, resisting arrest, and attempted escape. He was sentenced to life on the murder charge and 30 years on the armed criminal action charge. The other charges carry a 4 to 7 year sentence each. Caruthers made his plea bargain July 16th. Caruthers and a Farmington man, 42 year old Jeremy Reed, were arrested when VanStavern's body was found in the back of an S.U.V. after it crashed during a police chase in November of 2016. Reed entered an Alford plea in 2018 on charges of tampering with physical evidence and second degree burglary. He was sentenced to eight years in prison.