A family dispute in a quiet St. Louis neighborhood turned deadly on a summer evening. Robert Allen, a 62-year-old man, was found with gunshot wounds on a porch in the 4800 block of Maffitt Avenue in the Kingshighway East neighborhood. The discovery was made shortly after 5:30 p.m. on Sunday, July 21, 2024. When police and emergency medical services arrived, they found Robert had been shot in the back.
He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The investigation quickly led to a suspect who was not a stranger to Robert, but his own brother, 64-year-old Gregory Allen. The two brothers lived together in the same home. According to police, another brother and a neighbor confirmed that Gregory had made numerous threats to kill Robert with a shotgun.
When officers first arrived at the home, Gregory Allen told them he did not know how his brother had died. However, his story changed after police recovered a shotgun at the residence. He then claimed that he had accidentally shot and killed his brother.
Gregory Allen was taken into custody and initially charged with first-degree murder, armed criminal action, and unlawful possession of a firearm. He was held without bond. In January 2026, the case came to a close when Gregory, then 65, pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and unlawful gun possession. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison for killing his brother.
