In the quiet community of Florissant, Missouri, a story of domestic turmoil culminated in a tragic loss of life. Roseann Quentia McCulley, a 34-year-old Black/African American woman, found her life brutally cut short on March 5, 2021, a victim of a horrifying murder-suicide. This event not only took her life but also the lives of her 13-year-old son, Kayden Johnson, and her 6-year-old daughter, Kaylee Brooks.
The perpetrator was identified as Roseann's 35-year-old estranged husband,
Bobby McCulley III. The couple had a documented history of domestic abuse, a fact Roseann had brought to public attention through online posts shortly before her death. On the night of the incident, McCulley forced his way into Roseann's home. He held her and her two children against their will for several hours before fatally shooting them.
The tragic events began to unfold when a neighbor, alarmed by sounds of a disturbance, contacted the police. Officers initially responded to a call about a suspicious person but left after finding no one. They were called back to the residence hours later after gunshots were reported. Upon their second arrival, they discovered the devastating scene inside the home. A one-year-old child of Roseann and Bobby's was initially missing, prompting an AMBER Alert. The child was later found safe with relatives.
Following the murders, a manhunt for Bobby McCulley III ensued. As law enforcement closed in on his location, he took his own life. The St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney's Office posthumously charged him with three counts of first-degree murder, three counts of kidnapping, one count of burglary, and seven counts of armed criminal action. In connection with the case, Bobby McCulley's mother, Michelle Clayton, was charged with hindering prosecution for allegedly misleading police during their search for her son.
