On September 7, 2020, police officers in Dellwood, Missouri, responded to a call regarding a shooting in the 10700 block of Trask Drive. Upon arriving at the scene shortly after midnight, authorities discovered the lifeless body of Mark Anthony Ford, a 30-year-old male from Breckenridge Hills, lying in the driveway of a residence. He had sustained a fatal gunshot wound to the head. The Major Case Squad of Greater St.
Louis was immediately activated to assist the North County Police Cooperative in the homicide investigation.
Investigators quickly identified a suspect at the scene, 37-year-old Timothy Lee Jr., who lived at the home where the shooting occurred. According to police reports, Lee was taken into custody on an unrelated warrant before becoming the primary focus of the murder inquiry. During questioning, Lee admitted to officers that he had been intoxicated at the time of the incident. He explained that Ford had been frequently visiting the residence, attempting to persuade the occupants to allow him to live there. On the night of the shooting, Lee armed himself with a gun, went outside to confront Ford, and fired two shots in his direction, one of which struck the victim.
Following the shooting, Lee reportedly entered the house and attempted to manipulate the narrative. He tried to take car keys from a woman inside the home to flee the scene and unsuccessfully urged her to tell the police that she had shot Ford in self-defense against a burglary attempt. Officers recovered the murder weapon at the scene, finding it wrapped in a red shirt along with shell casings. The St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney's Office subsequently charged Lee with second-degree murder, armed criminal action, and unlawful possession of a firearm. He was held on a $500,000 cash-only bond.
