In a heart-wrenching turn of events that left a St. Louis Hills neighborhood in shock, three-month-old Taylor Rose Trokey was found dead in her home on February 2, 2018. The infant girl was discovered alongside her parents, Mary Jo Trokey, 32, and Matthew Trokey, 33, in what police would later describe as a tragic murder-suicide. A concerned family member made the grim discovery after being unable to contact the family for a couple of days.
Investigators arriving at the Kinsey Place
residence found no signs of forced entry. All three family members had sustained fatal gunshot wounds and were located in the same room of the house. The weapon was also recovered at the scene. Evidence quickly led authorities to suspect that Mary Jo Trokey was the perpetrator. It was revealed that she had purchased a gun just days before the incident. The family's dog was also found in the home, having been grazed by a bullet but surviving.
The investigation into the devastating event pointed towards a silent battle with mental illness. Family and friends described the Trokeys as a 'solid family' and the 'perfect family,' expressing profound shock and disbelief. They were active members of their local church, where Taylor Rose had been baptized just a month prior. However, reports emerged suggesting that Mary Jo, a social worker, may have been suffering from postpartum depression or the more severe postpartum psychosis. Her parents later spoke out, expressing their belief that postpartum psychosis led to the tragedy and advocating for greater awareness of the condition. The case was concluded as a murder-suicide, with Mary Jo Trokey as the sole suspect, and consequently, no arrests were made.
