In the autumn of 2020, a young man's life was tragically cut short in St. Louis County, Missouri. Jerry Chambers Jr., a 20-year-old male, was killed on the evening of October 25, 2020. The incident unfolded around 8:46 p.m. in the 8400 block of Plaza Rock Court, where events took a fatal turn during what was supposed to be a marijuana transaction.
According to authorities, Jamond Welch, then 20, had arranged to purchase marijuana from Chambers.
Welch arrived at the location with another man, 22-year-old Montez Smith. As they approached Chambers' vehicle, Smith allegedly revealed his intention to rob Chambers. Welch proceeded to get into the back seat of the car where Chambers and a passenger were seated. Shortly after, Smith approached the driver's side window and instructed Chambers to roll it down. When he did, Smith allegedly produced a firearm and shot Chambers twice, with one of the bullets striking him in the neck. The passenger in the vehicle was also shot, sustaining a wound to the hip.
Law enforcement and emergency services were dispatched to the scene, where they found Jerry Chambers Jr. with fatal injuries; he was pronounced dead at the scene. The passenger who was also shot was transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The surviving passenger was able to identify Welch as the individual who had arranged the meeting and who had entered the back seat of the car just before the shooting occurred.
The investigation led by the St. Louis County Police Department's Bureau of Crimes Against Persons resulted in the arrests of both Jamond Welch and Montez Smith. Welch was taken into custody on January 8, 2021, and Smith was arrested on February 21, 2021. Both men were subsequently charged with second-degree murder, first-degree attempted robbery, and armed criminal action. A judge set their bonds at $500,0.00, cash-only.
