On a cold January evening in St. Louis, Missouri, a seven-year-old girl named D'Myah Tylise Rankin-Fleming was sitting in a parked car with her father. It was January 24, 2021, a day that would end in tragedy. An assailant approached the vehicle in the 4000 block of Laclede Avenue in the Central West End neighborhood and opened fire, striking both D'Myah and her 26-year-old father, Darrion Rankin-Fleming.
Her father was pronounced dead at the scene, while young D'Myah was rushed to a nearby hospital where she succumbed to her injuries a short time later. The little girl, who was described as happy and loving, had spent the weekend with her grandmother, joyfully learning how to bake cakes.
In the wake of the devastating double homicide, the community and city officials called for justice. A substantial reward, eventually reaching $40,000, was offered for information that would lead to the capture of the person or persons responsible for cutting short two lives. The family, grappling with an unimaginable loss, pleaded for anyone with information to come forward. They remembered D'Myah as a bright and smart child, the light of their lives, who shared an inseparable bond with her father. The senseless violence left a deep wound in the heart of the city and spurred calls for an end to the violence plaguing its streets.
The investigation eventually led to the arrests of two men, Javonn Javontay Nettles and Andre L. Anderson. It was revealed that Nettles and Darrion Rankin-Fleming were acquainted, though the motive for the fatal encounter remained unclear. Initially, both men were charged with first-degree murder. However, the path to justice took a turn that left the victims' family feeling unheard and deeply pained. Instead of proceeding to trial, both suspects accepted plea deals. In October 2023, Javonn Nettles pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree murder. His co-defendant, Andre Anderson, pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree involuntary manslaughter in February 2024.
Both men were sentenced to 10 years in prison. The family of D'Myah and Darrion expressed outrage and heartbreak over the sentences, which they felt were far too lenient for the crime of taking two lives. They had been prepared for a trial and were hoping for life sentences. The final court decision for Anderson came on the third anniversary of the day they buried their loved ones, compounding their grief. For them, the conclusion of the legal proceedings did not bring a sense of justice, but rather a painful reminder of their profound and enduring loss.
