​Police responded to a call about a shooting in the 1300 block of Granville Place in the Hamilton Heights neighborhood (above) at 12:25 p.m. on Friday and found an Oldsmobile Intrigue with roughly 30 bullet holes parked in front of an abandoned house. Inside was Devon Von Cahill, 26, who was pronounced dead at the scene.

Another victim, an 18-year old male who was not identified, was discovered in a nearby gangway. This man remains in critical condition at an area hospital. Witnesses told police the apparent assailant fled the scene in a white Dodge Caliber.

​James M. Clavin, a 34-year old white male, was walking in the 1500 block of South Eighth Street in Soulard (above) at 2:36 a.m. this morning when he got into an argument with unidentified males (number not specified). Witnesses heard gunshots and saw the suspects run off into the night. Clavin was taken to an area hospital with wounds in his chest and groin, and died there. The investigation continues.

​The Violence Policy Center released its analysis of homicide data for the year 2009 (the most recent year with full available statistics), and for the second year straight, Missouri leads the nation in black homicide victimization. With 239 black homicide victims statewide (206 male and 33 female), Missouri clocks a staggering rate of 34.72 black murders per 100,000 people. The rate for black homicides nationwide is 17.9 per 100,000 people. The national overall homicide rate is 4.76 murders per 100,000 people.

In the starkest possible terms, if you're black and living in Missouri, you are seven times more likely to be murdered than a white person.

More >>

Jerry Shelton, T.J. Hill and Michael Rosner (left to right).

​The Post-Dispatch and other sources report that three men are now in custody and have been charged for their involvement in Robert W. McGartland's death. Jerry Shelton (18), T.J. Hill (19) and Michael Rosner (20) have all been charged with second-degree murder and armed criminal action, among various other charges, for their roles in the shooting.

It's interesting to note the Rosner was McGartland's companion at the time of the shooting, and yet he's also been charged with second degree murder. This is because McGartland's murder happened during the commission of a felony -- drug possession and/or distribution, one of the further charges leveled against Rosner. Police have not determined which was the party distributing and which was the party buying, but an anonymous poster down there in our comment thread claimed two days ago that McGartland was the one selling. The same commenter also knew Rosner's name before that was publicized, so perhaps he or she could fill the police in on some of the rest of the details.

Original post follows
More >>

The 5000 block of Thrush Avenue, in the Walnut Park East neighborhood.

​This is a strange one, even for St. Louis. On Sunday night just before 10 p.m., police received a call from a person claiming they were being shot at by two suspects in a black Pontiac Bonneville. The caller was not injured.

Shortly after the call was filed, officers in the 5000 block of Thrush Avenue (above) used spike strips to stop a black Pontiac Bonneville that was reported stolen. In the front passenger seat was the body of Deotray Tribbitt, 16, who had been shot in the head and was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the car, an as-yet-unidentified black male, 20, was taken into custody as suspect number one. Police then went back and arrested the man who made the initial call about being shot at -- an 18-year-old black male now in custody as suspect number 2. The investigation is ongoing.

​Homicide detectives were called to the 2800 block of Dayton in the Jeff-Vander-Lou neighborhood (above) yesterday around 1 p.m. to investigate another apparent murder. Wayne A McKinney, 34, was found riddled with bullets, still behind the wheel of a white 2001 GMC Yukon. The incident report notes that "the victim had what appeared to be drugs in his pants pocket," but no further information is available. The investigation is ongoing.

St. Louis police continue to investigate the killing of two men found dead in a car in the Baden neighborhood of north St. Louis on Sunday afternoon. 

​According to police, 35-year-old Leshaun Holmes and 36-year-old Lonnell Dortch were parked in a white Chevy Malibu in the 5900 block of Annetta when they were shot to death around 4:53 p.m. January 8. 

Holmes lived in the 5100 block of Vernon in the city. Dortch lived in the 3500 block of Sugarcrest in north county.  
More >>

Ernest Maxwell Sr.

​A father stands accused of murdering his grown son this week in north St. Louis County.

Police say they responded to a home in the 200 block of Northport Hills (near Interstate 270 and West Florissant Road) Tuesday afternoon to find   23-year-old Ernest Maxwell Jr., bleeding from a gunshot wound. He later died at an area hospital.

On Wednesday, St. Louis County prosecutors charged his 62-year-old father, Ernest Maxwell Sr., with second-degree murder and armed criminal action. Police don't have a motive for the shooting but say the father and son have had several verbal disagreements in recent days and that Maxwell Jr. recently moved out of the residence.

Maxwell Sr. is being held on $250,000 bond.

Authorities continued this morning to search for the killer of Mark Fultz, a 24-year-old man murdered early Monday morning in south St. Louis.

​
St. Louis police say Fultz, of north St. Louis County, was outside an apartment building in the 4600 block of Spring (above) around 1:30 a.m. January 2 when he was shot in the face, chest and arms. Fultz reportedly made it to a friend's building before collapsing.

​It didn't take long for St. Louis to register its first homicide of 2012. Conyea Borroum Willis, 52, was getting into his car in the 4900 block of Plover (above) in the city's Walnut Park East neighborhood around 12:50 a.m. January 1 when he was approached by a man with a gun.

According to police, the suspect demanded money from Willis and then shot him twice in the stomach. Willis later died in an area hospital. An investigation is ongoing.