African American Thaddeus Dumas, a 27-year-old male, was discovered deceased on Thursday, August 24, 2017, in the backyard of his residence in the St. Louis suburb of Berkeley, Missouri. Authorities were called to the scene where they found Dumas suffering from fatal gunshot wounds. The discovery marked a violent end for the young father, who had previously garnered local media attention as a survivor and plaintiff in a high-profile civil rights lawsuit against the city's correctional
system.
The investigation into the shooting was handled by the Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis, which was activated to assist the Berkeley Police Department. Despite the initial law enforcement response, public records and crime databases indicate that the homicide remains unsolved. No suspects have been publicly named, and no arrests have been reported in connection with the specific act of gun violence that claimed his life in 2017. The case is listed on various unsolved homicide registries, which continue to solicit tips from the public regarding the circumstances of the shooting.
Dumas was known in the community for his involvement in a 2012 legal battle exposing 'gladiator-style' fights at the St. Louis City Workhouse. While he had been a victim of forced violence during his previous incarceration—a scandal that led to the conviction of corrupt guards—investigators have not publicly linked his past whistleblowing to his murder years later. He left behind a wife and four children, and his death was officially ruled a homicide caused by the shooting.
