In the early morning hours of July 4, 2017, violence erupted in the darkness of a holiday weekend in St. Louis, Missouri, claiming the life of Harry Lee Atkins. The 34-year-old Black male was discovered by authorities around 1:30 a.m. in the 3500 block of Penrose Street, located in the O'Fallon neighborhood. Officers arriving at the scene found Atkins unconscious near a vehicle, suffering from fatal trauma.
While initial reports described a puncture wound to the back of his head, homicide records later classified the incident as a shooting, noting a wound to the chest.
Despite the celebratory nature of the date, the city was in the midst of a particularly deadly period, with Atkins becoming one of several victims killed during a surge of violence that spanned the Independence Day holiday. First responders pronounced him dead at the scene, unable to revive him from his injuries. Family members and the community were left mourning a man known to loved ones by nicknames such as '1 Bean' and 'Loc-B,' who was a father and described as an outgoing spirit.
The investigation into the killing yielded few immediate answers for detectives sweeping the area for evidence. In the years following the murder, law enforcement has not publicly identified any suspects, and no arrests have been made in connection with his death. The case remains classified as an unsolved homicide, leaving the circumstances of that night without legal resolution.
