On the morning of October 7, 2019, tragedy struck a St. Louis family already reeling from recent losses when police made a grim discovery in the Academy neighborhood of North St. Louis. Just before 10 a.m., authorities responded to a call that led them to the 5000 block of Enright Avenue. There, in a yard situated behind a vacant building, officers found the body of a woman who had been fatally shot.
The victim was identified as 33-year-old Brandi Leachman, a female resident who lived near the area where her life was taken.
Investigators from the Homicide Division immediately launched an inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the shooting, searching for clues that might explain who targeted Leachman and why. Despite the daylight discovery and the proximity to her home, police reported in the days following the incident that they did not have a suspect in custody. The case was described by family members as a painful mystery, with loved ones noting that they had seen her in recent weeks and observed nothing out of the ordinary that would foreshadow such a violent end.
The death of Brandi Leachman marked a devastating continuation of heartbreak for her family, becoming the third significant tragedy they had endured in a span of just two years. In 2017, her 10-year-old son was killed in a hit-and-run incident that remained unsolved at the time of her death. The following year, in 2018, her other son, then 15 years old, was shot by a police officer. This series of events left the family seeking answers not only for Brandi’s murder but also for the cumulative grief that had befallen them.
In the wake of the shooting, the community and family gathered to honor her memory. A vigil was held at Fountain Park on the Saturday following her death, where mourners lit candles and released balloons to pay their respects. A fundraising effort was also established to assist the family with funeral expenses. As the investigation continued, authorities urged anyone with information to contact the Homicide Division or CrimeStoppers, hoping to break the silence surrounding the case and provide closure to a family besieged by loss.
