Mialik Donelson

On the evening of December 12, 2017, a violent episode unfolded inside a local business in St. Louis, Missouri, marking a grim milestone for the city that year. Mialik R. Donelson, a 25-year-old Black male, was inside the New Way Market located at 5457 Page Boulevard when he was targeted. Around 6:45 p.m., gunfire erupted within the establishment, striking Donelson. He collapsed on the floor of the market as emergency services were summoned to the scene. First responders transported him to a nearby hospital, but he was unable to survive his injuries and was pronounced dead shortly after arrival. His death was recorded as the 200th homicide in the city for that year.

Homicide detectives initiated an investigation immediately following the shooting, securing evidence from the crime scene. A critical component of their inquiry involved surveillance footage from inside the market, which captured the incident and the assailant. The video showed a male suspect, estimated to be in his mid-to-late teens with a heavy build and standing approximately 5 feet 11 inches tall. Investigators eventually determined that the victim and the shooter were known to each other, a detail that helped narrow the scope of the manhunt.

Police efforts led to the identification and apprehension of a teenage suspect months after the shooting. In May 2018, authorities arrested 17-year-old Tre'von Marble in connection with the slaying. Following his arrest, the St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office formally charged Marble with first-degree murder and armed criminal action. During his initial court proceedings, a judge ordered that he be held without bail as the case moved through the legal system.