ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. — A man has been charged in connection to a north St. Louis County homicide.
On Oct. 17, St. Louis County police officers responded to the 10100 block of Bon Oak Drive around 1:50 a.m. where a 47-year-old man was found shot to death.
Police said the man was working as a cab driver at the time of the incident and his car, a 2011 Ford Crown Victoria, was missing from the scene. It was found a few hours later in Florissant. The man has been identified as Richard Lilie Jr., of Wentzville.
The St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office issued charges on Antouine Redmon, 40 years of age, of Florissant, for one count of first-degree murder, and armed criminal action. He's being held without a bond.
According to the probable cause statement, Lilie Jr's employer, St. Louis County Cab, helped police locate his cab and address of the last pickup.
Assisting officers responded to the location of the cab and saw Redmon going through items in the trunk. Redmon was taken into custody. Detectives found a bag with bloody clothes and bloody gloves next door to Redmon’s home.
Police said those items were tested and DNA matching Lilie Jr's was found on the outside and on the inside of the bloody gloves. DNA matching to Redmon was found on the inside of the gloves. During an interview, police said Redmon admitted he tried to rob Lilie Jr. and that he was killed as a result.
Statement of Basil Rudawsky, president of St. Louis County Cab
We are deeply saddened by this tragic and senseless incident. Our hearts are with Rich’s family and friends during this difficult time. Richard Lilie, Jr. was an independent contractor driver working with St. Louis County Cab Company since October, 2011.
Rich was a reliable, hardworking, professional driver who was willing to help out his passengers at any time in all areas of our city. Rich’s dedication to his customers was second to none. He will be missed by all of us at County Cab and the many passengers whose lives he touched.
Statement of St Louis Metropolitan Taxi Commission Ron Klein about the death of St Louis County Cab driver Richard Lilie Jr.
"The Taxicab Commission is charged with making sure that public can travel by cab safely and fairly. We work for riders. But, I want to talk a little about the cabs. Cabs are not really like rideshares. Cab drivers don't get to choose where they go or who they pick up. By regulation, a cab driver has to pick up almost anyone, anywhere. That makes driving a cab both more satisfying than doing rideshare and, sometimes, more dangerous. The companies that employ them have a variety of measures in place, not all of which I can tell you, to make the jobs as safe as possible. Sometimes, tragedies like this happen. My heart goes out to the driver's family and friends."