In the early evening of June 24, 2022, gunshots disrupted the quiet of the 4500 block of Hamilton Avenue in Pine Lawn, a suburb of St. Louis. When officers from the North County Police Cooperative arrived around 7:15 p.m., they discovered two young men who had been shot. Both were pronounced dead at the scene. One of the victims was later identified as 19-year-old Jacob Pierce of Arnold, a Caucasian male. The other victim was 24-year-old Markco Willingham of St.
Louis.
The Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis was called to lead the investigation into the double homicide. Investigators believed the shooting was a targeted act of violence, though a specific motive was not publicly disclosed. Their attention soon turned to a person of interest, and their investigation led them to 20-year-old Trevontae Sain from Berkeley, Missouri.
Following the investigation, Trevontae Sain was arrested and charged with two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of armed criminal action in connection with the deaths of Jacob Pierce and Markco Willingham. Sain was subsequently held at the St. Louis County Justice Center on a $500,000 cash-only bond. The case against him is ongoing as it moves through the legal system.
