In the late evening hours of a summer day in St. Louis, tragedy befell 33-year-old Maurice Wilbert. On August 22, 2021, police responded to a car crash in the Fountain Park neighborhood, where they found Wilbert behind the wheel of a car that had struck two parked vehicles. He was suffering from gunshot wounds to his back and shoulder. Though conscious and breathing when he was rushed to the hospital, he later succumbed to his injuries.
Another source indicates his date of death as August 29, 2021.
The investigation into the shooting led police to 18-year-old Kinard Wilson of Ferguson. A distinctive bumper sticker on Wilson's silver Nissan Altima, spotted on security footage from the area of the shooting, was a key piece of evidence. Investigators also uncovered a recorded phone call between Wilson and an inmate in Alton, Illinois. In that call, Wilson allegedly admitted to being the driver in the shooting and described Wilbert's car.
When questioned by police, Wilson confirmed that he owned and drove the silver Altima and that it was his voice on the recorded call. He claimed, however, that he had been discussing a different incident. Despite his denial, Kinard Wilson was arrested and charged with first-degree murder and armed criminal action in connection with the death of Maurice Wilbert. He was held without bond.
