In the quiet neighborhood of Jennings in St. Louis County, the life of 19-year-old Tiana Baker was tragically cut short on the evening of March 24, 2021. A recent high school graduate, Tiana was remembered by her family as a beautiful, hardworking, sweet, and lovely young woman who was just beginning her life. That Wednesday evening, a violent encounter inside her home on Akins Drive ended her promising future.
The perpetrator was her 20-year-old ex-boyfriend, Dairius Kinnie.
He entered the residence and shot Tiana multiple times. During the assault, he also shot Tiana's 44-year-old mother, who sustained serious injuries but was expected to survive. The attack left Tiana with fatal wounds, and she was pronounced dead at the scene. Witnesses saw Kinnie flee in a black Dodge Ram pickup truck, providing a partial license plate number to the police.
A manhunt for Kinnie ensued, and hours later, an officer from the Bellefontaine Neighbors Police Department spotted the suspect's vehicle. Kinnie attempted to evade capture, leading police on a high-speed chase that ended when he crashed into a tree. After the crash, he emerged from the truck and pointed a handgun at the officer. The officer fired at Kinnie, but neither was injured. Kinnie was then taken into custody.
Following his arrest, the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney's Office charged Dairius Kinnie with first-degree murder, two counts of first-degree assault, three counts of armed criminal action, and one count of resisting arrest by fleeing. He was held without bond. In December 2023, a St. Louis County jury convicted Kinnie of first-degree murder and four other felonies related to the shooting. The trial featured the powerful testimony of Tiana's mother and sister, who witnessed the brutal murder of their loved one. The conviction for first-degree murder carries a mandatory sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.
