On the night of July 6, 2021, authorities in St. Louis County were alerted to a grim discovery in the municipality of Northwoods. At approximately 9:42 p.m., a citizen contacted the Northwoods Police Department to report an unresponsive individual lying on the sidewalk along the 6700 block of Kenwood Drive. Upon arriving at the scene, officers located the victim, identified as 34-year-old Darryl Franks.
He was suffering from at least one apparent gunshot wound and was pronounced deceased at the scene by emergency personnel.
Investigators determined that Franks was a resident of Spanish Lake, living in the 11900 block of El Sabedo Drive, several miles north of where his body was found. The Northwoods Police Department subsequently requested assistance from the St. Louis County Police Department to handle the inquiry. The Bureau of Crimes Against Persons took the lead in the homicide investigation, processing the scene for evidence and canvassing the area for potential witnesses who might have seen or heard the incident unfold.
As of the initial reports following the incident, no suspects had been taken into custody, and police did not immediately release details regarding a potential motive or the circumstances leading up to the shooting. The investigation remained active, with law enforcement urging anyone with information to contact the St. Louis County Police Department or to submit anonymous tips through CrimeStoppers to aid in identifying those responsible for Franks' death.
