Husband and wife charged in shooting death of teen heading to St. Louis Halloween party | Missouri

A Texas husband and wife are facing criminal charges following the fatal shooting of a 17-year-old girl who was on her way to a Halloween party at the St. Louis Zoo when gunfire struck her vehicle on a Missouri highway.

St. Louis County Prosecutor Melissa Price Smith announced Monday that Willie Herndon, 43, has been charged with first-degree murder and armed criminal action in connection with the death of Alyssa Wilson. His wife, Taiya Herndon, 45, is also charged with hindering prosecution.

The charges follow an investigation into the deadly Oct. 14 shooting along Interstate 170 in Overland, Mo., a community northwest of St. Louis.

Wilson was heading south around 7 p.m., heading to meet a friend for the zoo’s Halloween festivities, known as Boo at the Zoo, when the shooting occurred.

Court documents reveal at least one bullet was fired toward the rear of the teen’s vehicle.

The gunfire left Wilson “incapacitated,” according to court records, and his vehicle then crashed into a concrete median barrier. Emergency responders transported the teen to Barnes Jewish Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

Investigators say security footage captured crucial details that helped authorities identify the suspects.

Jack Abell, chief deputy commander of the region’s major case team, said at a news conference that Wilson had just walked past a white Buick Enclave parked along the shoulder of the highway when a single gunshot was heard.

“One person got out of the vehicle and was outside for a short period of time,” he said. “There was a shot, I got back into the vehicle. The vehicle deactivated its hazards and continued on its way.”

Authorities used surveillance footage and automated license plate readers to track down the Buick, which had an out-of-state registration, which ultimately led authorities to the Texas couple.

At Monday’s news conference, Wilson’s father, Robert Hickman, spoke about his daughter’s devastating loss and the future she will never get the chance to know.

“Alyssa was 17, excited about her life, excited about her future,” he said. “She had 60 days left until she turned 18, and we were getting ready to take our first family vacation together to go to Disney for her to see her favorite person in the world, Princess Tiana, and unfortunately she won’t be able to do that anymore. It was a foolish act.”

Investigators have not revealed what might have led to the deadly encounter. Abell confirmed that Wilson had no relationship with any of the defendants.

Willie Herndon now faces charges of first-degree murder and armed criminal action, while Taiya Herndon has been charged with hindering prosecution in the teen’s death.