On the afternoon of August 14, 2025, 70-year-old Joseph Michael 'Butch' Miner was fatally shot in Wellston, a community in St. Louis County, Missouri. The violent incident occurred outside a church located on the 6100 block of Wagner Avenue, where Miner had been engaged in conversation with two other individuals. The sudden attack took place in broad daylight, prompting an immediate response from local law enforcement who were already in the vicinity.
According to investigators, Miner
was standing near his vehicle speaking with a witness and a man identified as 39-year-old Lorenzo Ladiner. At one point, Miner entered his car while the conversation continued. Ladiner, who was wearing a yellow security vest, briefly walked away from the group before returning to the vehicle. He reportedly scanned the surrounding area before reaching into a bag he was carrying, retrieving a firearm, and shooting Miner in the head. Following the shooting, the assailant walked to a nearby residence, went inside to discard his vest and weapon, and then exited the home shortly after.
The sequence of events was reportedly witnessed by a police officer who was in the area and acted quickly to apprehend the suspect. Authorities arrested Ladiner at the scene. Upon searching the residence Ladiner had entered, investigators recovered the gun, the bag, and the yellow vest. The entire incident was also captured on surveillance video, providing significant evidence for the ongoing investigation.
Prosecutors subsequently charged Lorenzo Ladiner with first-degree murder, armed criminal action, and unlawful possession of a firearm. At the time of the shooting, Ladiner had been released from prison for less than a year, having served 17 years of a 20-year sentence for a previous murder conviction. Following his arrest for the death of Joseph Miner, a judge set his bond at $5 million.
