A White male identified as Wesley J. 'Wes' Donaldson was the victim of a fatal shooting that occurred during the early morning hours of Christmas Eve in 2020. The 60-year-old was not a resident of the city where the violence took place; rather, he lived in Fillmore, Illinois, a small community located northeast of the crime scene. Donaldson had traveled to St. Louis, Missouri, where he was discovered suffering from a gunshot wound to the head.
First responders found him in a precarious location under the Stan Musial Veterans Memorial Bridge.
Emergency personnel transported Donaldson to St. Louis University Hospital in critical condition, but he ultimately succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead. His death was recorded as the 254th homicide in St. Louis for that year. Following the autopsy and initial inquiries, his body was returned to Illinois, where family and friends gathered for a Celebration of Life service the following June at the Fillmore Sportsman Club.
Regarding the criminal investigation, local law enforcement agencies launched an inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the shooting. Despite the collection of evidence and the passage of time, public records and crime databases indicate that the case has remained unsolved. Authorities have not announced the apprehension of any suspects, nor have they released the names of any persons of interest connected to the murder. The motive for Donaldson's presence under the bridge during the pre-dawn hours of the holiday remains part of the ongoing investigation, with no charges filed or convictions recorded in relation to his death.
