In the early morning hours of November 8, 2018, the quiet of a St. Charles, Missouri neighborhood was broken by a grim discovery. A passerby spotted a man lying in the grass in the 1800 block of Willow Oak and alerted the authorities. When police arrived at 7:11 a.m., they found 64-year-old Roy Cedric Nash deceased on the front lawn of his home. It was immediately apparent that this was no accident; Nash had been shot multiple times. The St.
Charles Police Department quickly determined that Nash was targeted and that his death was a homicide. The Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis was called in to assist with the investigation.
Investigators soon learned that the murder was the tragic culmination of an ongoing dispute. They described the act as a 'planned and coordinated attack.' Within a remarkably short period of four hours, the investigation led to the identification and arrest of two teenage suspects. The community's extensive network of home surveillance cameras played a crucial role in the swift resolution of the case. The suspects were identified as 17-year-old Damontaye Deangelo Perkins of St. Louis County and 17-year-old Verjulia Ann Watkins of Lake St. Louis, who was the victim's own granddaughter.
The details that emerged from the investigation painted a chilling picture of betrayal. Perkins admitted to shooting Nash multiple times after a verbal altercation. He also confessed to stealing the gun used in the murder from Nash himself on a prior occasion in September of that year. After the shooting, Perkins stole Nash's car. Watkins was also implicated in the crime; she allegedly stole her grandfather's wallet and cell phone after he had been shot and helped to remove the murder weapon from the scene.
Both teenagers faced serious charges for their roles in the death of Roy Cedric Nash. Perkins was charged with second-degree murder, armed criminal action, stealing a motor vehicle, and tampering with physical evidence. His bond was set at $250,000. Watkins faced charges of felony stealing, stealing of a motor vehicle, stealing from a person, and tampering with physical evidence. Her bond was set at $500,000. The St. Charles County Prosecuting Attorney expressed confidence in the strength of the evidence against the young couple, signaling a commitment to securing convictions for the violent end to Roy Cedric Nash's life.
