In the early evening of June 24, 2022, the sound of gunfire shattered the quiet of the 4500 block of Hamilton Avenue in Pine Lawn, a suburb of St. Louis, Missouri. When officers from the North County Police Cooperative arrived at the scene 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 identified as Markco Deandre Willingham, a 24-year-old male from St. Louis.
The other victim was 19-year-old Jacob Nathaniel Pierce of Arnold.
The gravity of the double homicide prompted the North County Police Cooperative to request the assistance of the Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis to lead the investigation. Investigators quickly began to piece together the events of that evening. A vehicle of interest, a black 2011-2014 Dodge Charger with a distinctive red pinstripe and custom wheels, was identified as being in the area at the time of the shooting. The public's help was sought in locating the vehicle, and it was found shortly after.
The investigation led to a swift arrest in the case. Trevontae Karnell Sain, a 20-year-old from the nearby city of Berkeley, was taken into custody. Following the investigation by the Major Case Squad, Sain was charged with two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of armed criminal action in connection with the deaths of Willingham and Pierce. Authorities have stated that the shooting appeared to be a targeted act of violence, though a specific motive has not been publicly disclosed. Sain is being held at the St. Louis County Justice Center on a $500,000 cash-only bond as the legal proceedings against him continue.
