In the cold of a late January evening in St. Louis, a father and his young daughter sat in a parked car, their lives tragically cut short in a burst of gunfire. Darrion Rankin-Fleming, a 26-year-old male, and his 7-year-old daughter, D'Myah Rankin-Fleming, were in the 4000 block of Laclede Avenue in the Central West End on January 24, 2021, when an assailant approached the vehicle and opened fire.
Darrion was pronounced dead at the scene, while his daughter was rushed to a hospital where she succumbed to her injuries. The double homicide rocked the community and left a family shattered by the loss of a beloved father and his bright, young child.
The investigation into the senseless killings led authorities to two suspects. Andre Anderson and Javonn Nettles were arrested and charged with the murders. Court documents would later reveal that one of the suspects and Darrion Rankin-Fleming were acquainted, though the motive for the fatal encounter was not immediately made public. The arrests brought a glimmer of hope for justice to a grieving family and a city weary of gun violence. A significant reward was offered for information leading to the capture of those responsible.
In October 2023, Javonn Nettles pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree murder. As part of a plea agreement, he was sentenced to two concurrent 10-year prison sentences. In February 2024, the second suspect, Andre Anderson, also accepted a plea deal, pleading guilty to two counts of first-degree involuntary manslaughter. He too was sentenced to 10 years in prison. The resolutions of the criminal cases brought a painful chapter to a close for the family of Darrion and D'Myah, who expressed their profound grief and frustration with the outcomes, feeling that the sentences did not equate to justice for their loved ones.
