In the early hours of Thanksgiving morning, November 23, 2017, the body of 19-year-old Shelbyon Polk was discovered in the front yard of a vacant home on Burd Street in St. Louis. The young man, a recent graduate of Kirkwood High School, had been shot to death. Friends and family remembered him as a kind person with a big smile. His grandmother, Karen, noted that he had no reason to be in that part of the city and didn't know anyone in the neighborhood.
The discovery of his body sent shockwaves through his community, leading to a candlelight vigil in his memory at Meacham Park in Kirkwood.
The tragedy of Shelbyon's death was compounded by the fact that his father had also been murdered just two years earlier in an unsolved case. This history of violence cast a long shadow over the family, who pleaded with the public for any information that could lead to an understanding of why Shelbyon was killed. Despite their pleas, no arrests have been made in connection with his murder, and the case remains unsolved. Police believe the shooting likely occurred on the night of November 22, 2017, as witnesses reported hearing gunshots at approximately 10:30 p.m.
A year after Shelbyon's death, the family was struck by another tragedy. In December 2018, his grandmother, Karen Arnold, who had been actively seeking information and posting on social media about her grandson's case, was found murdered in her Kirkwood home. Her family firmly believes that her relentless pursuit of justice for Shelbyon was the motive for her killing. Like the murders of her grandson and his father, Karen Arnold's homicide also remains unsolved, leaving a legacy of unanswered questions and unresolved grief for the Polk family.
