ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. — A St. Louis man has been certified as an adult in a homicide he is accused of committing when he was 17 years old in Pine Lawn.
Kevin Fields, now 18, is charged with first-degree murder and armed criminal action in the shooting death of 38-year-old Christopher Chaney.
Chaney was shot and killed on the morning of Nov. 10, 2021, in the 3800 block of Jennings Station Road. Investigators with the North County Police Cooperative identified Fields as the suspect and he was arrested that same day. He was 17 at the time.
Wednesday morning, Fields was certified as an adult in the case. He is currently in adult custody at the St. Louis County Justice Center with a $750,000 cash-only bond.
According to a probable cause statement from a Vinita Park police detective, Chaney was able to identify Fields as the one who shot him before he died.
Surveillance video showed a dark Chrysler 300 speed away from the shooting, and police found a key fob to the same model car on Fields when he was arrested.
The car the fob belonged to was found nearby and matched the car seen in the video, the probable cause statement said. A gun seized during Fields' arrest also matched the shell casing found at the scene.
"I wish so many of our young people weren't carrying around guns that they think can solve their problems," stated St. Louis Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell in a release announcing Fields' charges. "In this incident, we have one young man dead and another facing life in prison - for what? What possibly could have been worth this?"
First-degree murder carries the mandatory sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Resources for crime victims:
If you have been a victim of a crime or know someone who has been, 5 On Your Side has compiled a list of resources.
Better Family Life is a nonprofit community development organization working to “stabilize inner-city neighborhoods.” One aspect of its mission is a gun violence de-escalation program.
To learn more, call 314-381-8200 or visit https://www.betterfamilylife.org/
Life Outside of Violence “helps those harmed by stabbing, gunshot or assault receive the treatment, support and resources they need to find alternatives to end the cycle of violence.”
To learn more, call 314-327-6697 or email: ProjectLOV@WUSTL.edu
The Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis has an anti-crime program called “Safety Net for Youth Initiative,” which is a joint partnership with Saint Louis Public Schools to provide services to at-risk youth.
To learn more, visit https://www.ulstl.com/anti-crime-initiative.html
Cure Violence is an international organization that has recently launched in a handful of St. Louis neighborhoods. Violence interrupters are trained to deescalate violent situations within their own communities. To learn more, visit https://cvg.org/
