In the early evening of January 3, 2020, the life of 50-year-old Brandon Bentley, a male from California, came to a violent and mysterious end on the streets of St. Louis, Missouri. His body was discovered on the 1500 block of Washington Avenue, just outside the Sliced Pint restaurant. The investigation would later reveal that Bentley had been a passenger in a white pick-up truck when he was shot multiple times.
In a brutal final act, his body was pushed out of the vehicle and left on the pavement as the truck sped away into the night.
The abandoned white pick-up truck was later located by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, but its discovery offered few immediate clues as to the identity of the perpetrators. Bentley's death marked the eighth homicide in the city within the first three days of the new year. As detectives began to piece together the puzzle of Bentley's final moments, a significant and complicating factor emerged: he was a federal informant.
Bentley had been providing information to federal authorities regarding a business dispute. He had reportedly shared crucial documents and details about financial misconduct, including the existence of hidden bank accounts. This involvement as an informant has added a complex layer to the investigation into his murder. Despite the ongoing efforts of the homicide division, no arrests have been made in connection with the shooting. The case remains an open and active investigation, leaving family and associates to await justice for a man whose life was cut short in such a brazen and public manner.
