Charges issued in Kinloch double homicide

KINLOCH, Mo. – The St. Louis County Police Department sent out a second update on the double homicide in Kinloch, Mo. which occurred on December 17, 2018, at the 5500 block of Tuttle.

At approximately 2:00 am on December 17th, officers from the St. Louis County Police Department Central County Precinct responded to report of a shooting. When they arrived, officers located one adult male suffering from at least one gunshot wound, pronounced dead on the scene, and one adult female suffering from at least one gunshot wound, who died from her injuries inside the ambulance while traveling to a nearby hospital.

The investigation also revealed two other victims, an adult female and a three-year-old, both uninjured.

Police officers also reported that a vehicle, described as a silver 2014 Mercedes Benz C300 4-door sedan, was taken by at least one suspect after the shooting occurred.

On Friday, the St. Louis County Police Department reported that the male and female victims have both been positively identified.

The male victim was Richard Berry, 39 years of age, of the 1600 block of Leisure Drive in Florissant, Mo. 63137, and the female victim was Destiny Howard, 21 years of age, of the 6100 block of Louisiana Avenue in St. Louis, Mo 63111.

The vehicle in question was also located in North St. Louis County.

On Friday, the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office issued charges on suspect Darren Thomas, Jr. He is 21 years of age of the 100 block of Shepley Drive in St. Louis, Mo. 63137.

Darren Thomas/St. Louis County Police Department

Thomas was charged for two counts of Murder in the First Degree, two counts of Assault in the First Degree, one count of Unlawful Use of a Weapon, one count of Robbery in the Frist Degree and five counts of Armed Criminal Action. He is being held without a bond.

The probable cause statement reads as follows:
Defendant shoots at Richard Berry, Destiny Howard, Confidential Victim A and Confidential Victim B. Some of the shots are into a motor vehicle possessed by Richard Berry and Defendant steals that same motor vehicle. Richard Betty and Destiny Howard die from gunshot wounds.

Detectives from the St. Louis County Police Department’s Bureau of Crimes Against Persons are conducting the investigation. Contact the police department at 636-529-8210 to speak to investigators if you have any information regarding the incident.

Close