In the winter of 2017, the life of 23-year-old Brandy Morrison of St. Louis, Missouri, came to a tragic and violent end. Morrison was reported missing by her family on January 28, 2017. Their concern grew after receiving phone calls that pointed to a house on Laura Avenue. A fire at a home on that same block further fueled their fears that it was connected to her disappearance.
The search for Brandy led investigators to a landfill in Marissa, Illinois.
Following the route of a city trash collection service from the neighborhood where she was last seen, homicide detectives, with the assistance of cadaver dogs, made a grim discovery on January 31, 2017. The body of a young woman, later identified as Brandy Morrison, was found in the landfill. An autopsy would reveal that she had died from a gunshot wound to the head.
The investigation into her death quickly led to two suspects. Paulren Stepter, 51, and Courtney Williams, 40, were arrested in connection with the crime. Both men were charged with tampering with physical evidence and abandonment of a corpse. Williams faced the more severe charges of first-degree murder and armed criminal action. Authorities believe Morrison was killed sometime between Friday, January 27, and Monday, January 30, inside the residence on Laura Avenue. Her body was then placed in a trash bin, which was subsequently emptied and taken to the landfill where she was ultimately found.
