Joshua Vaughn was a dedicated public servant who had spent over a decade working with at-risk youth. The 33-year-old Black man grew up in Fulton, Missouri, and attended Central Methodist University before beginning a career with the Missouri Department of Social Services Division of Youth Services, where he served as a youth specialist, service coordinator, and program manager between 2012 and 2022.
On the morning of February 3, 2023, Joshua received an Instagram message from a young man
he had known through his work. The message led to an arrangement for Joshua to visit a home on Millwood Avenue in St. Ann, Missouri, for what he was led to believe was a paid sexual encounter. When he arrived around 11:30 a.m., he was confronted by two armed individuals who demanded money. After Joshua electronically transferred funds to one of them, they tried to force him into the basement of the house. A struggle broke out in the hallway, and Joshua was shot multiple times.
Police responded to a call for shots fired and found Joshua wounded in the hallway. He was transported to a local hospital, but he succumbed to his injuries and passed away the next day, February 4. Investigators called the crime a premeditated robbery.
The investigation led to the swift capture of two suspects. Marlois “Tre Tre” Moore, 18, was arrested at the scene. The second suspect, 19-year-old Antonio Jones, was found hiding in a nearby shed by a police search dog. According to authorities, both men confessed to planning the robbery with the intent to frighten Joshua into giving them money. Police seized two firearms from the home.
Moore and Jones were initially charged with assault, armed criminal action, and robbery. Following Joshua’s death, the charges were amended to include second-degree murder. In April 2024, one of the defendants pleaded guilty for his role in Joshua's death. The following month, in May 2024, he was sentenced to 25 years in prison.
