On August 24, 2017, police officers in St. Louis County, Missouri, made a grisly discovery inside a home on the 10400 block of Balmoral Drive in Glasgow Village. During a welfare check, authorities found the bodies of four individuals who had been shot to death. Among the victims was 18-year-old African American male Deandre Kelley Jr., who had been killed alongside 56-year-old Patricia Steward, her 20-year-old son Joseph Corley, and her 10-year-old son Terrence Dehart. The scene was described by investigators as particularly gruesome, with the victims found in different areas of the residence.
The investigation revealed that the victims had been dead for some time before they were discovered. Detectives learned that the suspect, a young man who had been experiencing homelessness, had been taken in by Steward, a local hip-hop producer who allowed him to stay in her basement. Tensions reportedly arose, leading to the suspect being kicked out of the home. Following his ejection, he returned to the residence, where he fatally shot all four occupants. After the murders, he robbed the victims of various items, including electronics, designer clothing, and shoes, and fled the scene in one of the victims' vehicles. He also attempted to cover his tracks by picking up shell casings before leaving.
For several months, the case remained unsolved as the killer evaded capture. In December 2017, investigators tracked the suspect, identified as Ja'Vonne Dupree, to Columbia, Missouri, where he was arrested. At the time of his apprehension, Dupree was found in possession of items linking him to the crime scene, including three pairs of shoes that belonged to the victims. Prosecutors also utilized social media posts to connect him to the murders.
In October 2021, Ja'Vonne Dupree stood trial for the quadruple homicide. After four days of testimony and evidence presentation, a jury found him guilty on four counts of first-degree murder, as well as additional charges related to robbery and armed criminal action. Family members of the victims testified during the proceedings, expressing their prolonged grief and relief at the verdict. Dupree faced a mandatory sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.
