[UPDATE] Robert W. McGartland: St. Louis Homicide No. 7; Shot In Sight of Friend

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

Twenty-year old Robert W. McGartland was gunned down just before 9 p.m. last night in the 2000 block of Farrar, on the west side of Hyde Park (above). Police investigators have determined that McGartland drove to the site of his eventual murder with a friend (unidentified) and met with an unknown black male. The meeting flared into a dispute, and while his friend watched from the vehicle, McGartland was shot in the chest. The suspect fled in another vehicle and remains at large. The witness was not injured. The police continue to investigate.