ST. LOUIS — A St. Louis County mom is still pleading for answers two years after her son was murdered in downtown St. Louis.
Despite the time that's passed, the case remains unsolved, and Annamarie Baker still has no idea who took her son's life. While she continues to pray for justice, she's making sure Damion Baker's legacy lives on.
"No one expected my 25-year-old son to be gunned down in downtown St. Louis, but every day, I learn how to stand up, live my life without his presence," she said.
People always talk about the special strength of a mom, and if you sit down with Annamarie, it's evident.
"He is definitely still around. Every day is what I strive for. I just pull on his little energy and say, 'Okay, Mama needs some help,'" she said.
Instead of celebrating the Fourth of July with her son, she spent the holiday grieving after learning Damion was shot and killed the day before on July 3, 2022. He died just steps away from Busch Stadium, near Paddy O's.
Damion was with a woman, who was injured in the shooting, but didn't survive. Annamarie said the night her son was killed there were nine, 911 calls between Paddy O's and the parking lot where Damion was killed.
Two years later, the grieving mother and police have no more answers than they did that horrific Sunday night.
"Someone was on that parking lot. Someone saw more than what they've told us thus far. Find it in your hearts to have a conversation with us," Annamarie said.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police said there were no new updates in Damion's case, but they are still urging anyone with information to come forward. In a statement police said, "We believe there are numerous possible witnesses who could provide tips as there were people parked on, hanging out, walking through, or around the lot that evening where Damion was killed; however, we also understand that possible fears may prevent people from coming forward. That is why we continuously push witnesses to call CrimeStoppers where their tips and identity remains completely anonymous."
It's the same message Annamarie has to the public.
"Every day I wake up thinking somebody's going to say something that's going to give my lead detective the information she needs in order to solve this case, so I am still making that plea," she said.
While Damion isn't with her physically, she feels his presence daily, through the nonprofit created in his name. The D-Bake Foundation promotes construction trade education for underserved youth.
It's an idea Annamarie said her son told her about five months before he was killed. She said while working in construction Damion was concerned about the lack of minorities and women in the field, so he wanted to create a nonprofit to teach people necessary job skills.
"I really truly believe anything that Damion's name bears would have a natural energy of growth, just his spirit and his love of God, and I just think that he was protected that way," she said.
Growing is exactly what the nonprofit has done. This year, according to Annamarie, she's expanding the pre-apprenticeship program by partnering with Interplay, combining construction with technology.
Annamarie said Damion was a big gamer and this is exactly the kind of elevation he would've wanted for the foundation.
"It's my hope to draw more interest into the field," she said. "The goal was to build better, it was to build green. It wasn't just to teach somebody how to swing a hammer, it was really to be in-depth and detailed about the construction industry, and to help grow our construction industry, from a workforce standpoint."
According to a news release, the program will include, "Interplay Academy job-ready certificate pathways in HVAC, plumbing, electrical, construction, multi-family maintenance, building maintenance, and appliances. Leveraging immersive 3D simulations, VR, and high-impact video content, the pathways will guide learners from zero trades skills to job-ready. Curated training paths, combined with career support and in-person instruction, will lead participants to safely work towards earning an Interplay Learning Job-Ready Certificate and industry-recognized certifications like OSHA10 and EPA 608."
The training, Annamarie said, will be similar to a video game, which she believes will engage and inspire the younger generation, as they learn trade skills to help their careers in the future.
"Every day, we're trying to put our best foot forward in this industry to help bring more and more people to the industry so that we can continue to grow it in a real way," she said.
The immersive experience will happen at Employ St. Louis. Director Shonda Gray said the organization is dedicated to transforming lives.
"We're about their families, and not just people getting a job but changing their lives, and so, the full transformation of their lives and their families," she said.
That mission is why, Gray said, the partnership is a perfect match for Annamarie.
"Just her heart and the passion behind her son's vision, just as well, it aligned perfectly with our goals," she said.
Gray said it's a partnership Employ St. Louis deeply cares about and one they've been working on for over a year.
"We know that construction trades are in need of individuals, and there are individuals, especially in this community that are looking to get in construction trades, and trying to figure out what's the best way or even if they belong," she said.
For Gray, she's honored to help pass on Damion's legacy.
"Working with Annamarie and the D-Bake Foundation really provides that opportunity to kind of hear and learn the passion of his heart and the direction he was headed in," she said.
No matter how much time has gone on, Annamarie said, the grief continues to come in waves.
"It's an up-and-down rollercoaster. Some days I'm really good, some days I'm really bad," she said.
This mom continues to show her strength though, by making her son's dream a reality.
"We're just looking to continue to grow and looking to bring new and innovative ways to reach participants. It's not just about the underserved community any longer. We were really focused on underserved returning citizens and we're still 100% focused on that demographic of people but we have expanded our viewpoint and it's really anyone in the community that could benefit from a career in the construction industry," Annamarie said.
Registration is open for the Construction Trade Pre-Apprenticeship Program. It's a paid, six-week-long pre-apprenticeship program and they can have up to 15 people in the class, which is set to start in September of 2024. If you are interested in registering, you can email abaker@dbake.org or call 314-409-2318. You can donate here.
There is still a $30,000 reward for anyone with information that could lead to an arrest in Damion's murder. You can call CrimeStoppers at 866-371-TIPS (8477), and you will remain anonymous.
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