Cedar Rapids man convicted of concealing stepson’s murder weapon

CEDAR RAPIDS — A Cedar Rapids man who took a gun his stepson used to fatally shoot a DoorDash delivery driver and then concealed it from police after the shooting, pleaded guilty to a lesser charge Thursday in Linn County District Court.

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Pierre Danyon Morrow, 41, pleaded guilty in a written plea to obstruction of prosecution and accessory after the fact.

According to trial testimony, Morrow took the gun used by his stepson, Cameron Armad Leonard, 26, to kill Myron Snyder Jr., 21, who delivered food to Morrow’s other stepson, Maurice Brown on Oct. 5, 2023. Brown fired three shots at Snyder’s car — following a physical fight between the two over past conflicts — as Snyder was attempting to leave the parking lot at 3960 Sherman St. NE, where Brown lived.

After Snyder returned fire in self-defense, killing Brown, Leonard, who also was armed, started shooting at Snyder.

Snyder was killed by Leonard and Leonard had injuries but lived.

Morrow remained nearby in the parking lot, watching the shootings happen, according to testimony. When police arrived, they couldn’t find Leonard’s gun and later discovered Morrow had picked it up and concealed it from police.

According to testimony, Morrow, initially told investigators he didn’t take the gun and hadn’t seen anybody else remove a gun or move a car from the scene. Later, when investigators went to his apartment, he told them the gun was there and it was determined to be Leonard’s weapon used in the shooting.

Morrow has a previous conviction of first-degree theft in Linn County.

Leonard was convicted by a jury last week of first-degree murder, intimidation with a dangerous weapon, going armed with intent, use of a dangerous weapon in the commission of a crime, and being a person ineligible to carry a dangerous weapon.

Leonard’s sentencing is set for April 22. He faces life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Morrow’s sentencing hasn’t been set at this time. He faces up to four years in prison but may be eligible for probation.

This article was corrected.

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