Missouri Couple Faces Charges in Fatal Shooting of Teen

A 17-year-old girl was fatally shot while driving on Interstate 170 in Missouri, prompting prosecutors to charge a husband and wife in connection with her death. St. Louis County Prosecutor Melissa Price Smith announced Monday that Willie Herndon, 43, faces first-degree murder charges, while Taiya Herndon, 45, is accused of hindering prosecution.

Alyssa Wilson was traveling to meet a friend at the St. Louis Zoo on Oct. 14 when someone fired at least one shot into the rear of her vehicle, according to court documents. The gunfire left her incapacitated, causing her vehicle to crash into the highway's concrete median wall.

Wilson was taken to Barnes-Jewish Hospital, where she was pronounced dead, according to court records. Investigators said the Herndons did not know Wilson, and authorities have not disclosed a motive for the shooting.

Surveillance footage captured a white Buick Enclave pulling onto the right shoulder of Interstate 170. A person exited from the passenger side, and a gunshot was heard seconds later, according to court documents.

The suspect then returned to the vehicle, which fled the scene. Shortly afterward, Wilson's vehicle crashed, and investigators documented puncture wounds to her back and chest consistent with a projectile entering the rear of her vehicle, court records state.

Investigators traced the suspected vehicle using its identifying features, including a decal, to a nearby hotel where the Herndons were staying. Police found a vehicle bearing the same decal, but its license plate had been changed, according to court documents.

Further examination determined that neither license plate associated with the vehicle belonged to it. Investigators also recovered a firearm from the couple's hotel room, according to court records.

On Oct. 16, Taiya Herndon was seen opening the vehicle's rear hatch as police approached her. Willie Herndon emerged from the area around the hotel and ran after seeing officers, but police apprehended him, court documents state.

Willie Herndon faces additional charges for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Court documents indicate that he has prior convictions involving possession of a stolen vehicle, felony receipt of known stolen property and felony burglary in two separate cases.

Prosecutors allege that Taiya Herndon's role involved transporting her husband to Illinois after the shooting. Authorities have not announced a motive for the attack or identified a relationship between the defendants and Wilson.

Wilson's father, Robert Hickman, described the family's loss during Monday's news conference, saying his daughter had been looking forward to adulthood and a family vacation to Disney.

"Alyssa was 17, excited about her life, excited about her future. She had 60 days 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 Tianna and unfortunately, she's not going to get to do that anymore. This was a senseless act," said Robert Hickman, Alyssa's father.

Hickman also acknowledged the agencies involved in the investigation and expressed appreciation for their work in the case.

"Thank you to the major case squad, FBI and City of Overland for getting this taken care of and getting a small piece of justice for our family," said Hickman.

Sgt. Michael Clymer, public information officer with the Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis, said the arrests marked a step toward accountability for Wilson's family.

"No arrest can bring Alyssa back, but we hope this announcement represents a step toward accountability and justice," said Sgt. Michael Clymer.

Price Smith said Willie Herndon is being held on a $1 million cash bond, while Taiya Herndon is being held on a $500,000 cash-only bond.

Authorities are also investigating a separate shooting reported on Oct. 11. According to the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, another vehicle was shot at after a white SUV pulled onto the roadside.

A shell casing recovered from that incident has the same manufacturer as a casing found at the scene of Wilson's killing. Investigators are conducting further testing to determine whether the casings came from the same firearm, according to court records.