Alyssa Wilson, 17, was driving to meet a friend at the St. Louis Zoo when investigators say a shot struck her vehicle.
OVERLAND, Mo. — A Texas man has been charged with first-degree murder and armed criminal action in the fatal shooting of a 17-year-old Missouri high school student who was driving on Interstate 170, while his wife faces a charge of hindering prosecution, authorities said.
Alyssa Wilson, a senior at McCluer North High School, was driving south on I-170 on Oct. 14 when a gunshot entered her vehicle, according to investigators and court records cited by several news organizations. Wilson was on her way to meet a friend at the St. Louis Zoo. Authorities said she was struck by the gunfire, lost control of her vehicle and crashed into a concrete median. She was taken to a hospital, where she died.
St. Louis County Prosecutor Melissa Price Smith announced that Willie Herndon of Arlington, Texas, is charged with first-degree murder and armed criminal action. His wife, Taiya Herndon, 45, is charged with hindering prosecution. Authorities have not announced a motive and said investigators found no known relationship between Wilson and the couple. News reports have listed Willie Herndon’s age as either 42 or 43.
Investigators said surveillance video showed a white Buick Enclave pull onto the shoulder of southbound I-170 near the St. Charles Rock Road exit shortly before the shooting. According to court records, a person got out of the passenger side of the SUV and stood near the vehicle. Seconds later, the sound of a gunshot was captured on surveillance footage as Wilson’s vehicle passed the area. The person then returned to the SUV, which drove away, investigators said.
Emergency crews were called at about 7:20 p.m. to what was initially reported as a single-vehicle crash near Midland Boulevard. Officers found Wilson inside her car with a gunshot wound. Investigators later focused on the white SUV seen along the highway and used license plate reader information and other evidence to trace the vehicle to the Herndons, according to law enforcement accounts.
The investigation eventually led police to a hotel in Caseyville, Illinois, east of St. Louis. Authorities took both suspects into custody there Oct. 16. Court records cited by ABC News say police approached Taiya Herndon near the vehicle and Willie Herndon later emerged from the area of the hotel and ran after seeing officers. He was apprehended. Investigators obtained a search warrant for the hotel room and said evidence connected to the investigation was recovered there.
Prosecutors allege Taiya Herndon helped her husband leave Missouri after the shooting, leading to the hindering prosecution charge against her. Willie Herndon’s bond was set at $1 million cash-only, while Taiya Herndon’s bond was set at $500,000 cash-only. The charges are allegations, and neither defendant has been convicted in Wilson’s death.
Willie Herndon also faces a federal charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm in the Southern District of Illinois, according to court records cited by local news organizations. Federal records also have drawn investigators’ attention to another highway shooting several days before Wilson was killed. On Oct. 11, authorities said a vehicle that had just left Interstate 55 near Bates Avenue was struck by a gunshot after surveillance footage showed a white SUV stopped along the interstate.
Investigators recovered a cartridge casing from the earlier shooting and another casing from the area where Wilson was shot. Court records say the casings carried ammunition markings from the same manufacturer. Authorities were conducting additional testing to determine whether the evidence from the two shootings could be linked to the same firearm. Police have not announced any additional state charges against Herndon in connection with the earlier incident.
Wilson’s death devastated her family and school community. McCluer North High School described her as a senior, student-athlete and office aide who planned to attend college. Her father, Robert Hickman, told reporters that Wilson was excited about her future and was about two months away from her 18th birthday. He said the family had been planning a trip together before her death.
Hickman thanked investigators during a news conference announcing the charges. Authorities credited surveillance footage, license plate reader technology, tips and work by multiple agencies with identifying the suspects. The Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis, which assisted Overland police, said the investigation remained active as detectives examined whether the case had connections to other incidents.
Authorities have not publicly identified a reason Wilson was targeted, and investigators have emphasized that there was no known relationship between her and the Herndons. Testing of evidence connected to the separate highway shooting remained underway, while the state murder case and the federal firearm case against Willie Herndon continued through their respective court systems.