On the night of March 25, 2020, a Berkeley police officer on patrol discovered a man lying face-down on the street in the 6500 block of Jonas Place. The man, identified as 31-year-old Dennis McLin, had suffered a gunshot wound. He was rushed to a nearby hospital but succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead a short time later. The Berkeley Police Department subsequently requested the assistance of the St.
Louis County Police Department to investigate the homicide.
Investigators utilized surveillance footage from the area which, according to a probable cause statement, captured the fatal encounter. The video reportedly showed a man, later identified as Danny Jackson, along with two other individuals, robbing and shooting McLin. The footage also recorded Jackson driving away from the scene after the incident. Further evidence was gathered by analyzing cell phone records, which indicated that both Jackson's and McLin's phones were in the same locations simultaneously, both before and after the shooting occurred.
Based on the evidence gathered, authorities arrested and charged 35-year-old Danny Jackson in connection with the death of Dennis McLin. During questioning by investigators, Jackson acknowledged that the cell phone tracked by police belonged to him, and he also confirmed ownership of the vehicle seen in the surveillance video. Jackson was charged with second-degree murder, first-degree robbery, and two counts of armed criminal action. He was subsequently held without bond.
