On the morning of December 3, 2017, 41-year-old Steven Combs was washing a car outside a residence on the 6200 block of Bartmer Avenue in Wellston, a community within St. Louis County, Missouri. Around 11:40 a.m., a surveillance camera captured a man dressed in black walking down the alley toward Combs. The footage showed the assailant casually approaching the victim before opening fire at close range.
Combs, who was unarmed and focused on cleaning the vehicle, was struck by the gunfire and died from his injuries. The brazen nature of the daylight shooting shocked the local community and his extensive network of family and friends.
Steven Combs was a well-known figure in the area, particularly within the tow truck industry where he owned and operated his own business, often referred to as Combs Towing or CMS Towing. He was described by those who knew him as a hardworking and devoted family man. Reports indicated he was the father of roughly 14 to 16 children and was considered a 'legend' by his peers in the towing profession. following his death, a large convoy of tow trucks processed through the streets as a tribute to his legacy, and his family held a candlelight vigil at the site where he was killed.
For over a year, the case remained unsolved as investigators worked to identify the shooter seen in the video. In August 2019, prosecutors announced a breakthrough in the cold case. Deantaye Long, who was 20 years old at the time of the charges, was accused of being the gunman. St. Louis County prosecutors charged Long with first-degree murder and armed criminal action. At the time these charges were filed, Long was already in the custody of the Missouri Department of Corrections serving time for unrelated offenses. Authorities stated that while Long had been a person of interest early in the investigation, they initially lacked the probable cause to arrest him until further evidence was developed by the prosecutor's office.
