Crime and Law

Schnucks Credit Card Lawsuit: Could Company Owe Millions of Dollars To Affected Customers?

In the wake of a massive security breach that left millions of credit cards vulnerable, Schnucks is now facing multiple lawsuits in Missouri and Illinois from customers and lawyers who say the company should have alerted shoppers sooner -- and should never have let this happened in the first place. ... More >>

LeRoy Valentine: Decades After First Alleged Child Sex Abuse, St. Louis Priest Removed

Another day, another dispute with the St. Louis Archdiocese regarding allegations of child sex abuse. The case of Father LeRoy Valentine, however, involves a long and complicated history of accusations that span several decades and allegations of repeated inaction by those in charge. And victims' ad ... More >>

Homicide No. 32: Pierre Childs, 16, Shot By Group of Suspects, Found Lying on the Street

The latest homicide victim in St. Louis is one of the youngest of the year so far. St. Louis metro police say that yesterday Pierre Childs, age sixteen, was found lying on the grass between the street and sidewalk at around 5 p.m. after officers received a call for a shooting. He was unconscious ... More >>

"Knockout King" Elex Murphy Sentenced, Widow Testifies, "My Family is Destroyed"

Last month, Elex Murphy, the so-called "knockout king" accused of beating a 72-year-old stranger to death in Dutchtown, was convicted -- two years after the brutal attack. And last week Murphy was sentenced, the St. Louis Circuit Attorney's Office said on Friday, with an announcement that included ... More >>

Timothy Copeland, St. Peters Man Accused of Arson, Shooting, Smiles for His Mugshot

We're not sure what is more bizarre -- the accusations against Timothy Copeland, or the suspect's smiling mugshot. Exhibit A to your right. As for the allegations, they are, at the very least, as strange as his mug. Copeland, according to the St. Peters Police Department, was released from priso ... More >>

Death Penalty: Senator Joe Keaveny Says Missouri Must Assess Costs of Execution

As we've reported, lawmakers have pushed this year to repeal the death penalty in Missouri with a proposal that is not likely to get far in the legislature. State Senator Joe Keaveny, a Democrat who represents St. Louis, is supportive of an end to capital punishment in the state -- but he's taking a ... More >>

Glenda Jackson: Men Rob Victims, Kill Woman as She Tries to Retrieve Property, Police Say

Less than 24 hours after a woman was found strangled to death in an alleyway, St. Louis metro police say that another woman has been killed -- in a robbery last night that turned very violent. 39-year-old Glenda Jackson, a 55-year-old female and another male were victimized last night when five me ... More >>

Four-Year-Old Girl Hit in Dutchtown Drive-By Shooting, Police Search for Suspect

The most recent victim of gun violence in St. Louis is a four-year-old girl. Police say the girl, hit by bullets last night, was not the intended target, but got caught up in gunfire from a drive-by shooting. The incident took place last night around 7:30 p.m. on Louisiana Avenue in the city's Du ... More >>

Guns: Bruce Humphrey of St. Louis Gets Seven Years On Federal Illegal Weapons Charges

Bruce Humphrey, a St. Louis resident, was sentenced today to 92 months behind bars on federal charges of illegal firearm possession. The decision comes at a time of intense debate in Missouri around gun laws, gun rights -- and how gun crimes are prosecuted. In this federal case, it seems Humphre ... More >>

Emily Hagan: Attorney Says Rain, Street Construction Were Factors in DWI Cyclist Death

This week, news broke that Emily Hagan, a 31-year-old Kirkwood resident, has accepted a plea deal for a three-year sentence -- one year after she was accused of killing a cyclist while driving drunk in University City. "Emily...wanted to accept the responsibility and she did," her attorney Art Mar ... More >>

Salem Library Told to Stop Wiccan Censorship: "We Are Pleased This Matter is Behind Us"

Public library officials in Salem are pleased with a court order against them this week that says they cannot block Wiccan and Native American websites -- after the American Civil Liberties Union of Eastern Missouri accused them of refusing to allow a patron to conduct online research on certain rel ... More >>

Belleville Martial Arts Instructor Accused of Sexually Exploiting Kids, Filming the Abuse

Christopher Horton, a twenty-year-old Belleville martial-arts instructor, is accused of sexually exploiting three minors -- ages six, eight and ten -- and filming the abuse. A new complaint against Horton says that he confessed to the sexual assault and attempted to get a fourth minor to engage in s ... More >>

Homicide: Danielle Mack-Jones, 27, Allegedly Stabs St. Louis County Man, Steals Two TVs

Danielle Mack-Jones, a 27-year-old St. Louis County resident, is accused of stabbing to death a neighbor in her apartment complex -- and then stealing two televisions. Police announced today that she had officially been issued warrants, a major step in their investigation into a Christmas Eve homici ... More >>

Death Penalty Repeal in Missouri: Senator Gina Walsh Says Capital Punishment is Not Pro-Life

State Senator Gina Walsh says she is well aware that there will likely be opposition to her controversial proposal to repeal the death penalty in Missouri -- but that's not stopping her from pushing forward. "My constituency probably won't like it," she tells Daily RFT. "But this is something I su ... More >>

Top Ten Strangest Missouri Bandits: Mr. Polite, Spider-Man, Granddad and More! (PHOTOS)

This week, St. Louis County police charged a Fenton woman who allegedly walked into a smoke shop with a knife, asked for cash -- and then settled on a measly $7.50 in tip jar coins. Not really worth all the trouble, if you ask us. But the bizarre incident got us thinking about the craziest bandits i ... More >>

Violence Against Women Act: Why Is Senator Roy Blunt Still Opposing? LGBT Protections?

One of the more heated battles in D.C. this year so far centers around the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act, a measure that provides protection for victims of domestic violence. Congress failed to extend it last year, but it's now under consideration at the House -- after it passed ... More >>

Phyllis Schlafly Says Violence Against Women Act Promotes Divorce And Hatred of Men

Today in St. Louisans weighing in on national politics, Daily RFT brings you the always charming Phyllis Schlafly, president of the Eagle Forum and conservative activist with reliably delightful views on other human beings. Today's topic? The Violence Against Women Act, the one that Congress failed ... More >>

Domino's Robbery: Is There A Pizza Delivery Crime Epidemic In St. Louis?

If you deliver pizza in St. Louis, be on the lookout -- there is an epidemic of crime against pizza employees in this town. At least it sure seems that way with today's news of yet another alleged robbery at gunpoint in which a guy in a Domino's uniform was the victim. The St. Louis County Polic ... More >>

Checkmate: Prosecutors team with debt collectors to terrorize consumers in ways both highly profitable and usually illegal

Authorities: Merrel Burch Was Behind Subway Robbery (And Maybe Several Others)

Authorities believe that a 26-year-old from south county was behind two robbery incidents in the past week -- and may be responsible for as many as seven others.  Merrell Burch is from the 7700 block of Olde English, which lies just outside city limits south of Willmore Park.  According to ... More >>

South City Subway Robber Caught, Cops Say

Police believe they've caught up with the low-life who twice robbed a South City Subway restaurant -- and are accusing him, in addition, of shooting a man through a car window. Deangelo Webb, a 19-year-old from the 3800 block of Shenandoah Avenue, faces charges of robbery, assault and armed criminal ... More >>

Two Charged for Robbing South City Imo's Pizza Delivery Man at Knifepoint

Another pizza delivery driver was robbed in South City on Friday night, but this time the cops believe they've nabbed the crooks responsible. Auntre Moore, a 19-year-old from the 4200 block of Virginia Avenue,  and Christopher Moore, a 28-year-old from the 2000 block of DeSoto Avenue, have been ... More >>

South City Subway Robbed Again

The Subway franchise at South Grand Boulevard and Shenandoah Avenue was robbed again at 9:20 pm on Saturday night. The same Subway was hit by an armed robber back on November 18, city cops say.  Store employees and the cops reportedly believe that the same guy is behind both crimes.

Judge Upholds Ellisville's Red Light Cameras

St. Louis Circuit Court Judge Thea Sherry is the latest Missouri magistrate to rule in favor of the constitutionality of red light cameras. Judge Sherry dismissed a class-action lawsuit October 30 that challenged Ellisville's ordinance allowing for the controversial cameras. Her ruling marks the fif ... More >>

The New Cold War: On the frontlines of the costliest battle in the high-tech world

Police Arrest Man They Accuse of Robbing Victims Then Shooting Them in the Face

Police say Vincent D. Newman, a 24-year-old from Midtown, is the guy who has robbed at least three people near I-44 and Grand, taken their property, then shot them. (Two of them in the face, by the way.)  Cops arrested Newman Wednesday. So far he's only been charged with felony robbery and arme ... More >>

Couple Sues Doctors For Decapitating Their Baby During Labor

Hey, buddy. How are you? Havin' a bad day? Well, if so, you may want to mosey on down the internet trail and skip this post. Because this is the worst story we've heard in a really, really, really long time. Here's what happened to a young St. Louis couple and their unborn baby, according to a law ... More >>

St. Louis Criminals Took Most of the Weekend Off, Just Like Us

The Labor Day Weekend started off quietly on the crime front, although whether it was because of the holiday, the rainy weather or just a coincidence remains open for debate.That all changed in a 24-hour period starting Sunday afternoon, as three shootings in that span sent three people to the hospi ... More >>

Two More Shootings on Labor Day Bring the Holiday to Bloody, Non-Fatal Close

An additional pair of shootings was reported to St. Louis Police on Monday, bringing a wet holiday weekend to a bloody end. At 6 p.m. Monday, police report that a 16-year-old black young man was stopped by a pair of black young men on bicycles in the 3700 block of Penrose Street in the Fairground Pa ... More >>

Have You Illegally Downloaded the Porno "Total Black Invasion 2"? Beware this Lawsuit!

Yesterday, in our esteemed federal court, the Southern California-based company, West Coast Productions -- "Your Premier Source for Interracial Porn!" -- filed suit against 71 unnamed people living in eastern Missouri. The accusation? That they infringed copyright by downloading "Total Black Invasio ... More >>

Central West End Neighborhood Security Initiative Releases Info On Other Robberies

The Central West End Neighborhood Security Initiative yesterday released information on two armed robberies that occurred on Sunday, August 19, hours after Megan Boken was murdered at the intersection of Taylor and Maryland avenues.According to its update, four people walking near Euclid Avenue and ... More >>

Shooter Opens Fire on Goodfellow Boulevard, Injuring Two

Three people were injured Sunday afternoon when a man opened fire in the 900 block of Goodfellow Boulevard in the West End. A 51-year-old black man told police he was driving north on Goodfellow when he heard shots, simultaneously with his windshield exploding. His car suffered further damage to the ... More >>

Seven People Shot in Five Separate Incidents on Sunday

Police had a busy Sunday throughout St. Louis City, as seven people were shot in five separate incidents. In the most serious incident, a 25-year-old black man was shot multiple times while in the parking lot of White Castle at 3524 North Kingshighway in the Kingsway East neighborhood at 11:30 p.m. ... More >>

Attempted Robbery Ends with Robber and Victim Shot

Police continue to investigate an attempted robbery that resulted in both the victim and the robber being shot. The victim is a 56-year-old black man who told police he was walking on a parking lot in the 3700 block of Page Boulevard when a 25-year-old black man approached and announced a robbery. T ... More >>

Three Shootings In the City Monday Night

Three people are hospitalized this morning after being shot in three separate incidents last night. In the earliest incident, an 18-year-old black man was walking at 13th Street and Cass Avenue in the edge of the Columbus Square neighborhood at 6:25 p.m. when he heard gunshots and took off running. ... More >>

Two Shootings in St. Louis Sunday Night

Police were called out to deal with two shootings last night, although in the first instance the victim wanted nothing to do with the police. The uncooperative victim is an 18-year-old black man, who would not tell police how he was injured nor would he tell them where he was when he was shot. Witne ... More >>

Wash. U is 16th Most Crime-Riddled Campus

According to The Daily Beast, Washington University is a premiere institution for hitting the books or getting hit over the head. Using data from the U.S. Department of Education, the blog used incidents of murder, robbery, assault, burglaries, and car thefts between 2008 and 2010 to populate their ... More >>

St. Louis Is the Third-Most Dangerous City

Don't let any of those grumpy old guys tell you America doesn't manufacture anything these days -- no other country in the world cranks out as many internet lists as we do. It's our second-largest industry, after political shouting programs. At any rate, it's Thursday and according to something call ... More >>

Kansas City's Red Light Cameras Survive Class-Action Lawsuit

Last year the St. Louis-based Simon Law Firm filed six class-action lawsuits challenging the legality and constitutionality of red light cameras in Missouri. To date, the Simon lawyers are 0-3 in their quest to banish the cameras in a half-dozen municipalities. The latest defeat occurred last week w ... More >>

How Fair Are Federal Sentencing Guidelines? One Skeptical District Judge Weighs in

In this week's feature story, "Our Military Doesn't Have a Gambling Problem," we narrate the tumultuous swan dive of decorated Army Sgt. Dreux Perkins, who returned home from a combat tour in Iraq with post traumatic stress disorder and a pathological gambling addiction. His condition prompted him t ... More >>

Billy Little: Pastor and Pyschologist Accused of Dusty Sex Scandal

A retired Baptist minister and licensed psychologist who, according to his biography, once hosted a counseling program on KMOX and worked as a sports psychologist for the baseball Cardinals, stands accused today of taking advantage of a female patient. And the plaintiffs and their attorney believe m ... More >>

Joseph Millard Arrested on Child Pornography Charges

Belleville man Joseph Millard, 49, was arrested Wednesday on multiple charges of downloading and distributing child pornography. He's being held on a $500,000 bond, and faces six to thirty years per charge in prison if found guilty.Those are big numbers, but check this out.

Tracy D. Jones: St. Louis Homicide No. 23; Shot in A Car

Tracy D. Jones, 47, was inside a car with an unidentified 56-year-old black woman in the 1500 block of Whittier Avenue last night when unknown suspects opened fire on them. Jones was shot in the chest and back, and was pronounced dead at the scene. The woman was shot in the thigh, and was treated an ... More >>

Two Separate Shootings Friday Night

​The Delmar Loop was not the only part of the city where shots were shots were fired  this weekend. Just around 9:30 p.m. Friday night, an unidentified 20-year-old black man was dropped off at an area hospital with multiple gunshot injuries. Witnesses tell police the victim was shot by two bl ... More >>

The Columbine Effect: Thirteen years and a hundred school shootings later, why is Hollywood obsessed with this one?

Three Shootings in the City Sunday Night

​St. Louis Metropolitan Police were kept busy Sunday night with three separate shooting incidents in just more than six hours. Fortunately, no one was killed. But there's a numbing similarity in all three cases that doesn't portend well for this summer; if the shootings jump up on the first warm n ... More >>

Victim Fatally Felled By Police Bullet

The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department has reported that police officers and at least one suspect exchanged gunfire over the weekend, resulting in a man's death. On Friday evening St. Louis police shot dead Jordan Walls, nineteen, of the 4900 block of Terry Avenue. In addition the police sho ... More >>

Creve Coeur's Red-Light Cameras Win Another Legal Battle

​A St. Louis County judge this week upheld Creve Coeur's red-light camera system, dismissing a class-action suit challenging the legality of the cameras. Attorneys Ryan Keane and John Campbell with the Simon Law Firm filed the suit last year on behalf of four people who'd received tickets from the ... More >>

Strip Club Tax Supporters Drop Research Bomb

​Some resent the implication at the heart of the "skin tax" bill: That strip clubs somehow foster sexual assault, and thus should have to pay $5-per-patron fee to fund aid to rape victims. However, as the bill wends its way through the Illinois senate, supporters of the bill are arguing -- now wit ... More >>