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18-year-old charged after 92-year-old man shot to death while doing yardwork

Robert Prewett's son said his father, a U.S. Air Force veteran, was a beloved husband, great-grandfather and neighbor.

ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. — An 18-year-old man was charged in the death of a 92-year-old man who was shot and killed in his front yard last week.

Prosecutors charged Da'Mon Williams with second-degree murder and armed criminal action in the killing of Robert Prewett.

The St. Louis County Police Department said officers responded at about 11:50 a.m. Oct. 30 to a call for a shooting on Parc Charlene Drive. When they arrived, they found Prewett dead from a gunshot wound.

According to his son, neighbors found Prewett was dead with three gunshot wounds in his front yard around 11 a.m. Wednesday. His leaf blower was still running when his neighbor found him. According to court documents, home surveillance footage showed a man fleeing from the scene wearing a tan mask, gloves and jacket. 

Footage showed the man run to a nearby apartment complex, where he threw the clothing items in a dumpster. Police recovered the items and used DNA analysis to match them to Williams.

Williams was found after fleeing the state, according to court documents. He was being held in an Illinois jail on $500,000 bond.

Prewett's son said his father was a U.S. Air Force veteran and retired employee of McDonnell Douglas, now Boeing, as well as a beloved husband, a great-grandfather and a highly respected neighbor. 

Prewett and his wife, Frances, were married for 65 years. Family members said she died in May of last year.

Resources for crime victims

If you have been a victim of a crime or know someone who has been, 5 On Your Side has compiled a list of resources.

The Crime Victim Center of St. Louis has multiple programs to support victims of crime. Crime Victim Center’s programs range from direct services to crime victims as well as “creating awareness and change within the systems they encounter.”

Life Outside of Violence "helps those harmed by stabbing, gunshot or assault receive the treatment, support and resources they need to find alternatives to end the cycle of violence."

The Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis has the Neighborhood Healing Network, which serves people who have experienced crime, violence or been the victim of an incident that caused trauma.

The Bullet Related Injury Clinic (BRIC) is a community-based clinic in St. Louis that helps people heal after they have been injured by a bullet. The BRIC was established to help people who are discharged from the emergency department after being shot.

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