In the winter of 2022, the life of 15-year-old Shayne Rocquel Burrow was tragically cut short. The young man was a student at University City High School in St. Louis, Missouri. He was last seen walking away from the school on December 15, 2022. Concern grew when he did not return, and an endangered person advisory was issued for the teenager, who was said to have made suicidal comments and was without necessary medication.
Four days later, on December 19, 2022, Shayne's body was
discovered in the 7300 block of Delmar Boulevard in University City. Authorities responded to a 'man down' call and found him at the rear of a building with what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The initial determination by the medical examiner was that Shayne had died by suicide.
However, Shayne's family questioned this conclusion. His mother hired a private investigator to look into the circumstances of his death. The investigator's findings raised doubts about the initial ruling. The private investigator's report highlighted inconsistencies, such as the absence of gunshot residue on Shayne's hands and the location of the firearm in relation to his body.
Presented with the new evidence from the private investigation, the medical examiner amended the cause of death. The revised report changed the cause from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to simply a gunshot wound, and the manner of death was updated from suicide to 'undetermined.' Despite this change, the University City Police Department has stated that the case remains closed and is not classified as a homicide, as they could not identify any indicators of foul play. No arrests have been made, and no suspects have been named in connection with Shayne's death.
