On the afternoon of July 29, 2023, tragedy struck at the First Western Inn located at 4828 North Broadway in the Near North Riverfront neighborhood of Saint Louis, Missouri. Anoop Kumar Putta, a 49-year-old male, was working in the main office of the motel when the incident occurred. At approximately 4:30 p.m., a man entered the lobby seeking service.
According to witness accounts, including statements provided by Putta’s wife who was present at the time, Putta refused service to the individual. The man, who was the sole customer in the lobby, was then seen on surveillance footage in the area. Moments later, three gunshots rang out in the office.
Emergency medical services rushed to the scene shortly before 4:45 p.m., but Putta had sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the motel. Investigators from the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department immediately began reviewing evidence to identify the shooter. Surveillance video captured a subject exiting a black Ford Fusion and entering the motel around the time of the shooting. The suspect’s clothing matched the description provided by witnesses at the scene. Furthermore, police were able to locate and interview the driver of the Ford Fusion, who admitted to dropping the suspect off at the location to rent a room.
Homicide detectives utilized cell phone GPS data to place the suspect at the scene during the time of the murder. The investigation eventually led authorities to identify 35-year-old Marquis Black as the primary suspect. Prosecutors alleged that Black shot Putta after being denied service, though the specific reason for the refusal was not detailed in court documents. Following the identification, charges were filed against Black in November 2023, including first-degree murder, armed criminal action, and unlawful possession of a firearm.
Months after the shooting, law enforcement tracked Marquis Black to Poplar Bluff, Missouri. On a Thursday in April 2024, nearly nine months after Anoop Kumar Putta was killed, police arrested Black and transported him to the St. Louis City Justice Center. He was held without bond as he awaited trial for the charges connected to the violent death of the motel employee.
