Police searching for shooter and motive in alleged murder case
A recent shooting death in East St. Louis is being investigated by both the East St. Louis Police Department and the Illinois State Police. The ISP was called in to assist the East St. Louis Police in investigating the crime. At the moment, the crime appears to present an opaque window to investigators, who have no suspect and no motive. If a suspect is identified and arrested, he or she may need the services of a capable criminal defense attorney.
Illinois State Police and East St. Louis police are searching for clues related to the presumed shooting death of a man in East St. Louis. Police were called to the scene at about 1:30 a.m. on November 24 by neighbors who heard gunshots. When police arrived, they found an automobile on the side of the road with all of its windows shot out. A search of the area around the car yielded several shell casings. While they were searching the car and the immediate area, police spotted a man lying in the adjacent field, about 15 yards from the roadway. According to police, the victim had suffered one or more gunshot wounds.
The victim was taken by ambulance to St. Louis University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. He was identified by police as a 26-year-old male who lived in East St. Louis. No official cause of death was provided, but police appear to have assumed that the man was killed by gunfire. Police confirmed that they have not identified any suspects or the motive for the shooting.
The paucity of information provided by police does not mean that they have no additional evidence or no possible suspects. A thorough search of the car and a forensic analysis of debris found in the car may provide information concerning the motive for the shooting. For example, the presence of illicit drugs or traces of such drugs in the car might indicate that the shooting was drug-related. The shell casings may reveal the type of weapon used in the shooting. The shooting is the 34th homicide in East St. Louis this year.
Source: Belleville News-Democrat, “Police identify man shot dead in East St. Louis,” Carolyn P. Smith, Nov. 24, 2017
