In early September 2016, 26-year-old male Marvell Kindle was walking home from a convenience store in the Riverview neighborhood of Saint Louis, Missouri. Known affectionately by the nickname 'Cheetos' due to his love for the snack, Kindle had just purchased a bag along with some other items and was making his way back to his residence on Diamond Drive. As he walked, he was approached and fatally shot multiple times.
Police officers responding to the scene discovered Kindle's body, marking a tragic end to the life of a young man who had moved to the area from California with his family six years prior.
Investigators determined that the shooting was a case of mistaken identity. Kindle, who was described by his family as an innocent victim with no involvement in criminal activity, was simply running an errand for his mother to buy greens for dinner. The shooting occurred on a Wednesday night, and the senseless nature of the crime left his tight-knit family, including his twin sibling and mother Carolyn Perry, devastated. They held a vigil and a march in the days following his death, remembering him for his love of cars, music, and his caring nature.
St. Louis County Police eventually identified a suspect in the homicide. Anthony Clemons, also 26 years old at the time, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder and armed criminal action in connection with Kindle's death. Detectives alleged that Clemons had targeted Kindle believing him to be someone else, only realizing after the shooting that he had attacked the wrong person before fleeing the scene. The community and family expressed deep anguish over the loss of a well-respected young man who was merely walking home with his favorite snack.
