In the city of Saint-Louis, Missouri, on a summer day in 2015, the life of a young man was tragically cut short. Ricos Boyd, a 26-year-old African American male, was fatally shot on June 2, 2015, in what proved to be a grim double homicide. Another individual, 25-year-old Shayla Carter, also lost her life in the violent encounter.
The events leading to the deaths of Boyd and Carter reportedly began with an altercation earlier in the day involving Carter and the estranged girlfriend of a
man named Keith Wright. Hours after this dispute, the bodies of Boyd and Carter were discovered in the alley behind Wright's home, both having suffered multiple gunshot wounds. They were found outside of a vehicle in the Greater Ville neighborhood.
The subsequent police investigation swiftly pointed towards Keith Wright as the perpetrator. Following his arrest on the day of the killings, Wright was charged with two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of armed criminal action. During his trial, prosecutors presented evidence that Wright had admitted to the shootings, initially claiming self-defense. However, this claim was contested by the prosecution, who highlighted the fact that both victims had been shot numerous times.
Despite his initial admission, Wright later denied his involvement during the trial, alleging that his confession had been coerced by law enforcement officers. Ultimately, the jury was not swayed by his defense. In June of 2016, Keith Wright was found guilty on all charges. For the murders of Ricos Boyd and Shayla Carter, he was sentenced to two consecutive life terms in prison without the possibility of parole. Subsequent appeals of his conviction were unsuccessful.
