In the late afternoon of June 1, 2020, a burst of gunfire shattered the quiet of a business complex parking lot in Earth City, Missouri, leaving a young man's life cut tragically short. Demetris Bogard, a 29-year-old male from St. Louis, was found suffering from at least one gunshot wound. Emergency responders rushed him to a nearby hospital, but his injuries proved fatal.
The investigation into Bogard's death, led by the St. Louis County Police Department's Crimes Against Persons unit, quickly focused on a single suspect. Within days, authorities identified 34-year-old Michael Barney as the man responsible for the shooting. According to the probable cause statement, the incident began with a seemingly innocuous question. Barney approached Bogard in the parking lot and asked if he was 'carrying.' When Bogard replied that he was, Barney opened fire, striking him in the back. The motive behind this deadly encounter remains unclear from the available information.
In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, Barney fled the scene, flagging down a car in the same parking lot and compelling the driver to take him south on Highway 141 to Fenton. During the ride, a visibly agitated Barney, who appeared out of breath as if he had been running, admitted to the driver that he had 'just shot someone in the face.' The driver also witnessed Barney move a semi-automatic handgun from his waistband to his lap as they passed a responding police car. Barney had the driver stop at a gas station in Fenton, where he was picked up by someone in a truck and made his escape.
Following the release of his identity and a warrant for his arrest, Michael Barney turned himself in to the police on June 15, 2020. He was subsequently charged with second-degree murder and armed criminal action for his role in the death of Demetris Bogard. He was held on a $500,000 cash-only bond. The resolution of these charges, including details of a trial or potential conviction, is not available in the public online sources.
