In the summer of 2008, a young Black/African American man's life was tragically cut short over a piece of jewelry on a St. Louis street. Terrance Michael Mims, aged 19, was walking in the 5100 block of Riverview Boulevard in June when he was set upon by a group of teenagers. The assailants demanded the gold necklace he was wearing.
The encounter quickly escalated when one of the teens, Marquise Atkins, who was also 19, brandished a firearm. Atkins held the gun to Mims's head while the others snatched the necklace from his neck. After robbing him, Atkins punched Mims in the face and then shot him. Despite being wounded, Mims attempted to flee, but his life was ended when Atkins fired a second time, striking him in the head. When police arrived, they found Mims's body lying in the street.
The investigation led to the arrest of Marquise Atkins. He was subsequently charged with first-degree murder, robbery, and armed criminal action. During his trial in December, after nearly two and a half hours of deliberation, a jury convicted him on charges of second-degree murder, robbery, and armed criminal action. For his role in the senseless murder of Terrance Mims, Marquise Atkins was sentenced to 70 years in prison.
