ST. LOUIS — A 19-year-old man pleaded guilty on Wednesday to a carjacking that led to the death of a 61-year-old healthcare nurse in January 2019.
Lashawn Clayburn pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of carjacking resulting in death and one count of discharge of a firearm in furtherance of a carjacking resulting in death.
Naomi Miller was shot and killed on the driveway of her Pine Lawn home, police said, adding that her car was stolen.
“Ms. Miller was a cherished member of this community. We hope today’s indictment brings some small solace to her family and many friends,” said North County Police Cooperative Major Ron Martin.
After taking her red four-door 2014 Ford Escape, investigators said he spent the next several hours driving around in Miller’s vehicle and picked up friends to go joyriding.
His sentencing date is set for Aug. 19, 2021.
He’s been in custody since March 2, 2019, when he was charged in a separate deadly case in St. Louis City.
Just 12 days after the fatal shooting of Miller, firefighters responded to a fire at a vacant house in north city. Once the flames were out, firefighters discovered the body of Chrishaun Hilliard, who had been missing since Christmas Eve.
Clayburn previously told police he and two unnamed people drove Hilliard around St. Louis — and even stopped at two grocery stores — all while they held Hilliard at gunpoint in the backseat of his own car.
Clayburn said they eventually went to the vacant house, and one of the suspects shot and killed Hilliard.
Clayburn was 17 at the time. He was charged with second-degree murder, first-degree robbery, facilitating a kidnapping and armed criminal action in the case.
