On January 14, 2019, 18-year-old Justice Devaun Johnson, a male resident of the St. Louis area, was fatally shot in Overland, Missouri. The incident occurred during the evening hours outside a fast-food restaurant located near the intersection of Page Avenue and Ashby Road. Police officers from the Overland Police Department responded to a call reporting shots fired and a person down at approximately 7:15 p.m.
Upon their arrival, first responders discovered Johnson suffering from a gunshot wound. He was subsequently transported to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The investigation, which was assisted by the Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis, revealed that the victim had been inside a vehicle, described as a Jeep Commander, with individuals he considered friends at the time of the shooting. Detectives learned that Johnson had been dropped off earlier to meet with former high school teammates. Authorities indicated that the shooting was not a random act of violence but rather an incident involving acquaintances. Johnson, a former football player who had attended Festus High School and later Kirkwood High School, had aspirations of joining the Navy, with plans to enlist the day following his death.
In the days following the homicide, investigators identified multiple individuals of interest connected to the events of that night. Police arrested 19-year-old Joseph Jordan III, a former high school football teammate of the victim. Jordan was charged with tampering with physical evidence after allegations surfaced that he had wiped down the Jeep Commander involved in the shooting to remove fingerprints or DNA. He was held on a bond of $100,000 pending legal proceedings.
Another individual, identified as Tabyus Mace, was named by law enforcement as a primary suspect and the alleged shooter in the case. Witnesses reported seeing Mace, who was also a former student at Kirkwood High School, in the vehicle immediately following the murder. For years following the incident, Mace remained at large, with police and Johnson's family making repeated public pleas for information regarding his whereabouts. By early 2022, reports indicated that Mace had still not been apprehended, and authorities continued to consider him armed and dangerous, urging the public to contact CrimeStoppers with any leads that could result in an arrest and conviction.
