ST. LOUIS — The case that prompted a judge to call the St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office a 'rudderless ship of chaos' has now fallen apart.
Steven Vincent, now 27, was facing nine criminal charges after police said he fired multiple shots into a building in the Jeff-Vander-Lou neighborhood in October 2020, striking an 11-year-old girl in the arm. Those charges included first-degree assault, armed criminal action, unlawful use of a weapon and shooting from a motor vehicle resulting in injury.
On Wednesday, St. Louis Circuit Attorney Gabe Gore’s Office dismissed the charges against Vincent, stating in court documents that the victim was no longer cooperating. The case was scheduled to go to trial this week.
Gov. Mike Parson appointed Gore to become the city’s top prosecutor after Kim Gardner abruptly resigned in May following mounting criticism of her administration’s handling of thousands of cases that went unprosecuted or fell apart.
That criticism peaked when Judge Michael Noble called Gardner’s administration “a rudderless ship of chaos” after finding enough probable cause to hold her and one of her assistant prosecutors in contempt for failing to attend several hearings regarding Vincent’s case.
Vincent's mother, Cassandra Hopkins, attended that contempt hearing. She told 5 On Your Side her son has been waiting for three years to prove his innocence.
"We keep coming to court and the prosecuting attorney is not here," Hopkins said.
The judge also grilled Gardner’s assistants, Chris Desilets and Rob Huq about whether anyone from Gardner's office had notified the victims in the case about the hearings or any of the developments in the case.
Desilets said it had "been a while" since he talked to the victims and Huq said he didn't know the answer to the judge's question.
Desilets no longer works in the office. Huq remains employed there.
Editor's note: An earlier version of this story contained an incorrect date of the dismissal. This version has been updated.
