On the night of June 19, 1980, a 29-year-old White male detective named Gregory J. Erson was working an undercover operation in St. Louis, Missouri. Assigned to the 'Stroll,' a midtown area known for illicit activity, he was operating as a decoy to apprehend individuals involved in prostitution. Throughout the evening, he successfully made several arrests before the situation took a fatal turn.
Later that night, fellow officers assigned to the same detail discovered his unmarked vehicle parked near the intersection of Whittier Street and Westminster Place. Inside, the detective was found slumped over the steering wheel, having suffered a gunshot wound to the back.
Emergency responders rushed him to City Hospital #1, but he was pronounced dead in the early morning hours of June 20. The investigation at the crime scene revealed that the incident was a robbery gone wrong. The perpetrators had stolen his service revolver, badge, and wallet before fleeing the area. Ballistics evidence later confirmed that he had been shot with his own police-issued weapon. As news of the murder spread, numerous officers, including many who were off-duty, joined the search for the killers.
A breakthrough in the case came when information provided by local witnesses led police to a group of suspects. Four individuals were initially taken into custody, though two were subsequently released. The investigation focused on Robert L. Baker and Leslie Lomax, who were identified as the primary assailants. Baker provided a videotaped confession in which he admitted to shooting the detective during the robbery attempt.
The legal proceedings against the two men resulted in significant convictions. Robert L. Baker was tried for capital murder; after his first trial ended in a mistrial, a second trial resulted in a guilty verdict and a sentence of death. However, while incarcerated, Baker was killed by another inmate during a prison altercation. Leslie Lomax was also convicted of capital murder for his role in the crime and received a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.
