On the afternoon of January 11, 2023, the quiet atmosphere of the 16000 block of Hobo Lane near Saint Robert, Missouri, was shattered by the sound of gunfire. At approximately 3:20 p.m., deputies from the Pulaski County Sheriff's Department rushed to the scene following reports of a shooting in the residential area. When law enforcement arrived, they located the victim, 63-year-old Robin Keppel, a White male, who was suffering from a critical gunshot wound to the chest.
Despite the immediate response and transport by the Pulaski County Ambulance District, Keppel succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased.
In the frantic moments following the violence, witnesses provided crucial information that directed the course of the investigation. Those present reported hearing three distinct gunshots before finding Keppel injured. Before he passed away, Keppel was reportedly able to identify his attacker to those at the scene, naming a man known as 'Rudy,' who was later identified by authorities as 31-year-old Tyron Spence-Bey. According to witness accounts, the suspect fled the immediate vicinity, running into the nearby woods shortly after the shots were fired.
A coordinated search operation was quickly launched involving the Pulaski County Sheriff's Department, the St. Robert Police Department, and the Missouri State Highway Patrol. The investigation revealed that after fleeing into the woods, Spence-Bey made his way to a neighbor's residence. The neighbor, who was acquainted with him, allowed him inside where he asked to use a phone to arrange a ride. Law enforcement officers eventually tracked Spence-Bey down and apprehended him in an area north of the residence without further incident. A search of the neighbor's home led to the recovery of a firearm in a bedroom, which police identified as the weapon Spence-Bey possessed when he entered.
Following his arrest, Spence-Bey was transported to the Pulaski County Jail. During interviews with investigators, he claimed that he had acted in self-defense, alleging that Keppel had fired at him first and that he returned fire from the cover of the woods. However, investigators noted that physical evidence at the scene contradicted this narrative. The probable cause statement highlighted that for Spence-Bey's account to be true, a bullet would have had to travel approximately 418 feet through obstructions, including trees, brush, and vehicles, to strike the victim. Authorities subsequently charged Spence-Bey with first-degree murder, armed criminal action, and unlawful possession of a firearm, and he was held on a $1 million bond.
