On the night of July 17, 2019, 33-year-old Rafael Givens was fatally shot in the Baden neighborhood of North St. Louis, Missouri. Just after 11:00 p.m., police officers responded to calls reporting gunfire in the 9000 block of Halls Ferry Road. Upon their arrival, authorities discovered Givens suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The incident prompted an immediate homicide investigation, with detectives canvassing the area for witnesses and surveillance footage.
Investigators eventually identified a suspect, Terrell Whiting, aided significantly by tips submitted to CrimeStoppers and surveillance video that captured the shooting. Court documents revealed that Whiting lived only a few blocks from where the crime occurred. During questioning, Whiting admitted to being in the area on the night of the murder and acknowledged he was armed with a 9mm handgun, though he denied shooting Givens. Further investigation uncovered a disturbing Facebook post made by Whiting shortly after the killing, in which he wrote, “What’s the murder count in St. Louis at this moment anyone know!!! #igot3.”
In October 2022, a St. Louis jury found Whiting guilty of first-degree murder and armed criminal action in connection with Givens' death. The conviction carried a mandatory sentence of life in prison without parole, as prosecutors had opted not to seek the death penalty. Sentencing was scheduled to follow the verdict later that year.
