On April 28, 2017, the quiet of the Benton Park West neighborhood in south St. Louis, Missouri, was broken by the discovery of a young man's body. Police were called to an alleyway where they found 22-year-old Malkolm Hodge, a resident of Florissant, unresponsive and suffering from fatal gunshot wounds. The initial investigation commenced immediately, with homicide detectives canvassing the area near the 3000 block of Pennsylvania Avenue for witnesses and evidence related to the violent event
that claimed the young man's life.
Malkolm Hodge was a father, a son, and a brother who left behind a grieving family seeking answers. He was survived by his young daughter, Lauren, his parents, Vickie and Alfred Hodge, as well as his brothers, Michael and Alfred Jr., and his sister, LaToya. In the wake of his death, his family and community members mourned the loss, sharing memories of a man they described as cool and fun-loving. He had been employed at local fast-food establishments and was known to friends by the nickname 'Levi.'
Despite the efforts of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, public records and reports from the time of the incident and subsequent years do not indicate that a suspect was immediately apprehended or that charges were filed in connection with his murder. The case added to the city's list of gun violence victims that year, leaving investigators to rely on tips from the public to piece together the events that led to the shooting in the alley that spring morning.
