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Timeline: How South Carolina couple's crime spree included St. Louis County

Police have identified Tyler Terry and Adrienne Simpson as suspects in two murders in St. Louis County. They're also suspected in violent crimes in South Carolina

ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. — Three homicides across three weeks in two states.

A high-speed chase that included a shootout with police in South Carolina.

Firing shots at a Taco Bell and a street in South Carolina.

All are part of a crime spree that included the murders of two people during attempted robberies in St. Louis County Saturday.  

During a news conference on Thursday, local police said Tyler Terry and Adrienne Simpson are from out of state and also wanted for a series of violent crimes in South Carolina.

Police said it's unclear why the couple was in St. Louis County as they have no known connections to the area, or the victims, Dr. Sergei Zacharev and Barbara Goodkin. Zacharev was shot to death and robbed in Brentwood while waiting for an Uber and Goodkin was killed while riding inside her high-end SUV in University City along with her husband, who survived. 

"We have absolutely no idea and we may not know," said Brentwood Police Chief Joseph Spiess Jr. "It could be random how they ended up here in Brentwood and University City. We don’t know. We may know at the end of the investigation, but we’re not there yet."

Simpson was arrested in South Carolina, but Terry is still on the loose.

Here is a timeline of the incidents the two have been involved in, according to police.

May 2

Terry is accused of murdering Thomas Hardin in York, South Carolina, according to 5 On Your Side's sister station WCNC in South Carolina. Hardin identified as a woman and was acquaintances with Terry, a WCNC reporter shared.

Adrienne Simpson’s husband, 33-year-old Eugene Simpson, was reported missing by his mother.

Police believe Terry fired shots on a street and at a Taco Bell in Chester, South Carolina.

May 15

At around 10:50 p.m., police were called to the 8200 block of Delmar — about two miles west of the Delmar Loop in University City — for a report of shots fired.

A 74-year-old man said he was driving in the area when they heard the gunshots. When he realized he and his wife were shot, he drove to the hospital.

The man was treated and released. Police said his cell phone in a front chest pocket stopped a bullet and likely saved his life. His wife, 71-year-old Barbara Goodkin, was placed in the intensive care unit. She died from her injuries the next day.

About an hour after they were shot, at around 11:45 p.m., Brentwood police officers responded to reports of shots fired in the 8700 block of Eager Road in a parking area between the Drury Inn & Suites and Bonefish Grill.

There, they found Dr. Sergei Zacharev shot to death.

Some of Zacharev's personal belongings had been taken from him and he had been shot multiple times, according to sources familiar with the investigation.

Police said they were able to obtain video of the suspects stealing a license plate from a vehicle to use on a gray or silver Mitsubishi Mirage hatchback. 

May 16

Police tracked the suspects to a drug deal that happened in north St. Louis city. Those involved in the drug deal led investigators to a motel. Surveillance video from the motel gave investigators a first look at the faces of Terry and Simpson.

Credit: Major Case Squad
Tyler Terry, Adrienne Simpson

May 17

The car with the stolen license plates was spotted in Chester County, South Carolina. When police tried to stop them, Terry and Simpson tried to get away, police said.

The police chase turned into a shootout with officers before ending in a crash on Highway 9 in Richburg. 

Simpson was arrested at the scene. Police said Terry ran into a wooded area and is still at large.

May 19

Eugene Simpson’s body was found in Great Falls, South Carolina. Police said he had been dead for several days when his body was found.

At this time, police are not making a connection between Eugene Simpson and the search for Terry, but they are investigating it as a possibility, according to WCNC.

An autopsy is scheduled for Friday, May 21, to determine Eugene Simpson’s cause of death.

May 20

Brentwood police identify Terry and Adrienne Simpson as suspects in the murders of Goodkin and Zacharev.

Authorities in South Carolina tweeted there was a confirmed sighting of Terry between the area of Fisher Creek and ATI on Highway 9.

The search for Terry is ongoing.

The Chester County Sheriff's Office released a video of Terry. It is not clear where or when the video was taken.

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