In the early moments of a Thursday, just after midnight on February 20, 2020, the life of 21-year-old Maurice Patton Jr. was tragically cut short. A young Black/African American man from Berkeley, a suburb of St. Louis, Missouri, he was found with at least one gunshot wound in the 6000 block of Madison Avenue. The Berkeley Police Department responded to the scene at approximately 12:05 a.m.
Emergency services arrived to find Patton grievously wounded.
He was quickly transported to a local hospital in a desperate attempt to save his life. Despite the efforts of medical personnel, Maurice Patton Jr. was pronounced dead. The initial reports from the scene had tragically, and incorrectly, stated he had died on Madison Avenue. The St. Louis County Police Department's Bureau of Crimes Against Persons promptly launched a homicide investigation into the shooting, a case that would leave a family and community searching for answers.
In the days that followed, the investigation into Patton's death continued, with authorities appealing to the public for any information that might lead to a breakthrough. However, the search for those responsible for this act of violence has been met with silence. To date, there has been no public identification of any suspects, nor have any arrests been made in connection with the murder of Maurice Patton Jr. The case remains an open and ongoing investigation, a painful and unresolved chapter for his loved ones who continue to await justice.
