Key takeaways:
- Willie Herndon is charged with first-degree murder and armed criminal action; Taiya Herndon is charged with hindering prosecution.
- Wilson was shot while driving on Interstate 170 toward the St. Louis Zoo and died at a hospital.
- Investigators said Wilson had no connection to the accused, and they have not disclosed a possible motive.
A Texas man faces a murder charge after a 17-year-old girl was shot while driving to a Halloween celebration at the St. Louis Zoo. His wife is accused of helping him leave the area after the shooting, Missouri authorities said Monday.
St. Louis County prosecutors charged Willie Herndon with first-degree murder and armed criminal action in the death of Alyssa Wilson. His wife, Taiya Herndon, was charged with hindering prosecution. Investigators said neither had any connection to Wilson.
Wilson was driving south on Interstate 170 in Overland, northwest of St. Louis, at about 7 p.m. when the shooting occurred. She was headed to the zoo’s “Boo at the Zoo” festivities. The Guardian reported that she planned to meet a friend there.
Security footage showed Wilson’s red Buick Encore passing a white Buick Enclave stopped on the highway shoulder, said Jack Abell, chief deputy commander of the region’s Major Case Squad. A single gunshot could then be heard. A bullet entered the back of Wilson’s vehicle, investigators said.
“A person exited the vehicle and stood outside for a short period of time,” Abell said. “There was a gunshot, got back in the vehicle. The vehicle turned its hazards off and continued on.”
The Guardian, citing court records, reported that the gunfire left Wilson incapacitated and her vehicle struck a concrete median barrier. Emergency responders took her to Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, where she was pronounced dead.
Investigators used the footage and automated license plate readers to trace the Enclave, which had an out-of-state registration. They watched it outside a hotel in Caseyville, Illinois, before taking the couple into custody Friday, according to NBC News. Prosecutors said Taiya Herndon drove her husband to the hotel, about 12 miles from St. Louis.
A court-approved search in Illinois found a gun and other evidence, Abell said, while investigators examined a shell casing recovered beside the highway. He said Willie Herndon provided details about his involvement during an interview, along with information relevant to possible investigations elsewhere. Those investigations are continuing, and Abell said he could not discuss a possible motive.
The couple, who are from Arlington, Texas, were being held in Illinois pending extradition to Missouri, NBC News reported. Bail was set at $1 million for Willie Herndon and $500,000 for Taiya Herndon, to be posted in full. It was not clear whether either had a lawyer.
Wilson’s father, Robert Hickman, said she was 60 days from her 18th birthday. The family had been planning its first vacation together, a trip to Disney to see her favorite character, Princess Tiana.
“Alyssa was 17, excited about her life, excited about her future,” Hickman said. “This was a senseless act.”
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