On the afternoon of April 16, 2022, Myron Davis, a 25-year-old Black man from St. Louis, was sitting in the driver’s seat of a car parked in Jennings, Missouri. It was around 4:45 p.m. in the 6300 block of Lillian Avenue, and a female passenger was in the vehicle with him. Suddenly, another car drove by, and someone inside opened fire on them before speeding away. Both occupants were struck by the gunfire. When St. Louis County Police officers arrived, they found Mr.
Davis with a fatal gunshot wound to the head. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The female passenger was rushed to a local hospital for treatment of her injuries.
Detectives with the St. Louis County Police Department’s Crimes Against Persons unit immediately began investigating the drive-by shooting. A crucial piece of early evidence came from surveillance footage, which showed a blue Kia following the victims' vehicle from a nearby convenience store all the way to the location where the deadly ambush occurred. After the shooting, the Kia was recorded fleeing the scene.
The investigation quickly led police to a person of interest. Just three days after the homicide, officers located the blue Kia parked behind the residence of a suspect. In an apparent attempt to disguise the vehicle, it had been recently spray-painted orange. Forensic technicians processed the car and found DNA that matched Sylvester Hill, a 28-year-old St. Louis resident. A search of Hill's home uncovered paperwork for the Kia, further linking him to the crime.
Based on the evidence gathered, the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office issued charges against Sylvester Hill on December 6, 2022. He was charged with first-degree murder, first-degree assault, and two counts of armed criminal action. By that time, however, Hill had fled the state. He remained a fugitive for several weeks until law enforcement tracked him to Houston, Texas, where he was arrested on January 24, 2023.
Following his capture, Hill was extradited to Missouri to face the charges against him. He was ordered to be held without bond. As of his arrest in January 2023, the case was proceeding through the court system.
