On April 30, 2023, 21-year-old LaTonya Brown, a Black female, was found deceased in her apartment in north St. Louis County. Police had been called to the residence in the 5300 block of Gladstone Place for a welfare check around 9 a.m. Upon entry, they discovered Ms. Brown and her 23-year-old boyfriend, Justin Taylor, both of whom had sustained fatal gunshot wounds and were pronounced dead at the scene.
The preliminary investigation by the St.
Louis County Police Department led them to believe that the incident was a murder-suicide. It is believed that Taylor shot and killed Brown before turning the gun on himself. The two were reportedly in a relationship and lived together in the apartment where their bodies were found.
LaTonya Brown was a mother, leaving behind a young child. Her family, including a twin sister, expressed immense grief and emphasized her innocence in the tragic event. There have been no reports of other suspects, and the case is being treated as a closed investigation, concluding with the death of the sole suspect, Justin Taylor.
