On April 12, 2019, a violent confrontation unfolded in the parking lot of an apartment complex in Jennings, a municipality within St. Louis County, Missouri. Police officers from the St. Louis County Police Department responded to reports of a shooting early that afternoon. Upon their arrival at the scene, they discovered fifty-four-year-old male Michael Hudson suffering from gunshot wounds.
Despite the emergency response, he was pronounced dead at the location.
The investigation revealed that the incident stemmed from an illicit transaction that went awry. Authorities determined that Hudson had arranged to meet with another individual at the complex for the purpose of purchasing pills. During the encounter, the situation escalated when the other man produced a firearm and announced a robbery. A physical struggle ensued between the two men, culminating in the assailant discharging his weapon and fatally striking Hudson. The violence in the area prompted officials to place two nearby schools in the Riverview Gardens School District on lockdown for approximately forty-five minutes as a safety precaution.
Law enforcement identified the suspect as thirty-one-year-old Justin T. Caffey of Florissant, Missouri. Following the investigation, prosecutors charged Caffey with second-degree murder, attempted first-degree robbery, and two counts of armed criminal action. Court documents detailed the botched drug deal and the subsequent robbery attempt that led to the homicide. A judge set Caffey's bond at $500,000, cash only, as he awaited further legal proceedings in connection with Hudson's death.
