On a Tuesday in Florissant, Missouri, the life of 60-year-old Brantley 'Brant' Tate was tragically cut short in the parking lot of his longtime workplace. On January 26, 2021, Tate, the Director of Maintenance at Marygrove Children's Home, was shot and killed by a recently terminated employee. The male victim had dedicated 35 years of his life to the children's home, starting as a floor technician and working his way up to a leadership position.
The man responsible for his death was
53-year-old Christopher Owens, who had been fired from his job at the children's home earlier that same day. Owens had been Tate's subordinate. Investigators reported that Owens became irate and belligerent upon his termination. He later returned to the property to retrieve his personal belongings and, in an act of retaliation, shot Tate. Police were called to the Marygrove Children's Home just after noon and found Tate in the parking lot with a single gunshot wound. He was rushed to a nearby hospital but was pronounced dead upon arrival.
Following the shooting, Christopher Owens fled the state but eventually turned himself in to authorities. He confessed to the killing, stating that he had intended to murder his former supervisor. The St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney's Office initially charged Owens with first-degree murder and armed criminal action, and he was held without bond.
In April 2022, Owens entered into a plea agreement, pleading guilty to the lesser charges of second-degree murder and armed criminal action. For the murder charge, he received a life sentence, with an additional 15 years for the armed criminal action, to be served consecutively. During the sentencing, Tate's family had the opportunity to express the profound grief and enduring pain caused by their loss. His widow described him as the 'kindest and most generous man,' while his stepdaughters spoke of the nightmares and the void his pointless murder left in their lives.
