On the afternoon of August 28, 2016, violence erupted in the North St. Louis neighborhood of Wells-Goodfellow, claiming the life of a young man with a promising future. DeAnthony Thomas Curry, a 22-year-old Black male, was navigating his vehicle near the intersection of Page Boulevard and Union Boulevard when he became the target of a fatal shooting. The sudden attack caused him to lose control of his car, which subsequently crashed as he succumbed to his injuries.
First responders arrived at the chaotic scene to find Curry deceased, marking another tragedy in a summer plagued by rising homicide rates in the city.
Detectives from the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department launched an immediate investigation into the circumstances surrounding the ambush. Initial reports indicated that the shooting might have been a targeted act, rather than a random occurrence. Despite the public nature of the crime and the busy intersection where it took place, the investigation faced significant hurdles. Law enforcement struggled to gather sufficient witness testimony to identify the gunman, a common challenge in local cases where community fear often silences potential leads.
In the years following the murder, DeAnthony’s mother, Phyllis Curry, became a vocal advocate for justice and peace within the community. She publicly expressed her belief that her son was killed by individuals he had grown up with—people who had once eaten at her table and played with him as a child. According to her, these childhood bonds had dissolved into feuds that ultimately turned deadly. Despite her suspicions and the local rumors regarding the identity of the perpetrators, no formal charges were successfully brought against the individuals she believed were responsible.
As of the last major public updates on the case, the murder of DeAnthony Curry remained unsolved, with no suspects in custody. The lack of a conviction left the family without legal closure, fueling Phyllis Curry's ongoing participation in anti-violence marches and community outreach programs. She has frequently spoken at vigils, channeling her grief into a plea for witnesses to come forward and for the violence in St. Louis to cease, ensuring that her son's memory serves as a catalyst for change rather than just a statistic.
