A 40-year-old man is now facing multiple felony charges in connection with the shocking December 2025 murders of a woman and her 9-year-old daughter inside their North City home. Authorities say the suspect, Michael A. McNair, not only fatally shot both victims in the head, but also set the house on fire and deliberately removed the home’s smoke detectors to delay emergency response.
McNair is charged with two counts of First-Degree Murder, two counts of Armed Criminal Action, First-Degree Arson, and Unlawful Possession of a Firearm. The charges follow a coordinated month-long manhunt that ended with his capture in a remote, wooded area near Poplar Bluff.
The victims identified as 45-year-old Latasha Brown and her daughter Paige Bunker were found in separate bedrooms at a home in the 5700 block of Floy Avenue after midnight on December 21. Both suffered gunshot wounds to the head and later died at a nearby hospital.
According to court documents, the fire was intentionally set and had multiple points of origin. Investigators with SLMPD’s Bomb & Arson unit and the ATF also noted that every smoke detector had been removed and hidden an act that authorities say was deliberate. Fingerprints recovered from the devices allegedly matched McNair.
Police tracked the suspect using phone data, surveillance footage, and witness statements. Records show that McNair fled the scene in the victim’s Chevy Traverse and later discarded her cellphone in North City. The vehicle was later discovered in Poplar Bluff, where McNair has family ties. A pair of men’s shoes with what appeared to be blood splatter was recovered from a nearby home where he had briefly stayed.
At the time of the murders, McNair was already on federal supervised release from a 2017 conviction involving meth distribution and illegal firearms. He was taken into custody by U.S. Marshals after being located in an abandoned property in the woods outside Poplar Bluff.
In a post-arrest interview, McNair reportedly admitted to being in a relationship with the victim and acknowledged an argument had taken place that evening. He also admitted to being at the residence and driving her vehicle following the killings.
This is one of those rare cases where the community is relieved to see an arrest made swiftly. The level of cruelty, calculation, and disregard for human life shown here is unimaginable. McNair is now being held without bond as legal proceedings continue.
