Andre T. Hawkins, a 34-year-old resident of Maryland Heights, Missouri, was found dead on January 3, 2024, in a wooded area in Alton, Illinois. His body was discovered around noon by a municipal worker on Lincoln Avenue.
The cause of death was determined to be multiple gunshot wounds, indicating that Hawkins was a victim of gun violence.
Antonio M. Baker, a 44-year-old man from Ferguson, Missouri, has been charged with first-degree murder in connection with Hawkins' death. Baker was taken into custody on the night of January 4, 2024, less than 48 hours after the body was found. He is currently being held in the St. Louis County jail pending extradition to Edwardsville, Illinois, and has been ordered to be held without bond by a Madison County judge.
According to prosecutors, the killing is believed to have resulted from a dispute between Baker and Hawkins, although the specific details of the incident remain unclear. It is noted that all parties involved were from Missouri, but the violence occurred in Alton, Illinois.
