In the spring of 2020, a violent encounter in the St. Louis suburb of Pagedale claimed the life of 40-year-old Micah Smith. On the afternoon of April 9th, events unfolded in the parking lot of a liquor store that would end in gunfire and a man lying dead on the pavement of Page Avenue.
According to accounts based on a probable cause statement and surveillance footage, the incident began with an altercation between Smith and another man, Christopher Williams.
It is reported that Smith approached Williams' car in the parking lot and began shooting at him. In a turn of events, Williams was then seen on surveillance footage chasing after Smith, firing several shots in his direction. One of these shots struck Smith in the back of the head. When a Pagedale police officer on patrol discovered his body, Smith was pronounced dead at the scene from at least one gunshot wound. A gun was found in his waistband.
The investigation into the shooting led to the arrests of two individuals. Christopher Williams was taken into custody and subsequently charged with first-degree murder and armed criminal action for his role in the fatal shooting. He was held on a $500,000 cash-only bond.
A second man, 29-year-old Legree Edwards Jr., was also implicated in the aftermath of the incident. Surveillance footage reportedly showed Williams handing a gun to Edwards, who then fled the scene. Edwards later admitted to police that he had run and disposed of the firearm used in the shooting. As a result, he was charged with tampering with physical evidence and was held on a $25,000 cash-only bond. The community was left to grapple with the violent loss of Micah Smith as the legal process against the two accused men commenced.
