AFFTON, Mo. — A police pursuit of an SUV from Texas ended in the deaths of a man and woman Friday night in south St. Louis County.
In an exclusive interview with 5 On Your Side, a friend of the man and woman were a former couple and had a complicated relationship.
Missouri State Highway Patrol identified them as 30-year-old Delisha Evans and 33-year-old Ryan Phillips.
Before the fatal crash, police in Princeton, Texas, had put out a critical missing person alert for Evans, concerned for her safety after authorities responded to a fire at her home and she was nowhere to be found.
The Texas Department of Public Safety informed the Missouri State Highway Patrol that Philips was heading to the St. Louis area in a red Range Rover and that Evans may be with him and in danger.
State troopers spotted the vehicle on Interstate 44, and a pursuit ended Friday afternoon on South Rock Hill Road near Pardee Road in Affton, where the Range Rover overturned.
A trooper fired shots after the crash, and both Philips and Evans were pronounced dead at the scene. Police have yet to confirm if shots were fired at troopers but said a gun was recovered near the Range Rover.
The exact causes of death for Philips and Evans were still under investigation.
The rollover crash was captured in real-time through the bushes of Kyle Moder's home.
"We saw cops and shields coming out," Moder said. "We knew the situation was pretty dire."
Moder heard 10-15 shots and saw a car flipped over.
"(We) heard the gunshots and we got down, we knew it was not a usual scene for this area," Moder said.
It's a story that starts back in November of last year near Dallas, Texas.
That's when Evans, known as DeDe, started dating Phillips. They are both from St. Louis, Salomi Momoh said.
She said she'd had issues with Phillips in the past.
"On multiple occasions, he told her he would kill her," Momoh said.
Momoh also discovered Phillips had a criminal past. 5 On Your Side learned Phillips was on probation.
Phillips pleaded guilty in 2018 for charges of shooting at two city police officers in October 2014. He was given a 10-year prison sentence.
A spokesperson for Missouri Department of Corrections said Phillips was released Sept. 2021. He had 1,140 days of credit for the time he served in jail before entering Missouri Department of Corrections custody.
5 On Your Side attempted to reach out to Phillips' attorney, however, Kristy Lynn Ridings was disbarred in 2020.
The couple fought often, Momoh shared, and broke up in August.
Evans was a loving mother to her 13- and 4-year-old daughters. Momoh said Evans' smile was like no other, beloved by so many who knew her.
Momoh added, "She was a great mother, business owner, daughter. She was overall a light that cannot be dimmed."
According to Momoh, Evans was last seen Wednesday night. Her teenager asked where her mom was.
Phillips, who was still around, said Evans was asleep upstairs.
The next two days, he drove the 13-year-old to school in a rental car.
Friday morning, officers in Texas were dispatched to a house fire at Evans' home.
Evans' house was found scorched with a fire that started in the attic, Momoh said, adding arson was involved.
Police in Princeton, Texas, activated a critical missing person alert Friday morning saying Phillips was the primary suspect in Evans' disappearance. License plate readers helped locate Phillip's SUV in St. Louis County, which initiated the pursuit.
"The understanding is that she was already not alive when she was in the car with him," Momoh said.
On Monday, MSHP shared this information:
"This investigation is still in the early stages. The autopsy will most likely determine the cause of death and those results are still pending. To maintain the integrity of the investigation, no further details are being released at this time. When the investigation is complete, the case file will be forwarded to the Saint Louis County Prosecutor’s Office for review."
If she could say anything to Phillips, it would be for him to know that "he took someone's daughter, someone's friend, someone's mother, selfishly," Momoh said.
"We'll never get a why," Momoh said. "We'll never get to a place of understanding."
To honor victims of domestic violence, Saint Martha's, a ministry of Catholic Charities, will be adding an additional name to its memorial garden.
A flower with her name will be planted for Delisha Evans.
"Friday afternoon we put together the list because we're doing the next dedication of names in October and then we had another to add this morning," said Executive Director Jessica Woolbright.
The goal of Saint Martha's is to curb domestic violence through resources, legal services, and advocacy. One way is to honor the lives of victims who've been killed in domestic violence situations through their garden.
Since 2022, 76 names have been added.
"Of course, we would love the day where there are no names to add, but we're not there yet," Woolbright admitted.
That's why Saint Martha's honors these names, so they can always bloom.
"The flowers are meant to honor their life, not the way they died," Woolbright added.
If you or someone you know are experiencing a domestic violence situation, Momoh asks that you speak up and reach out for help before it comes to this worst-case scenario.
A family member said they were raising funds for the family on GoFundMe.
The girls are reunited with their dad in St. Louis. Family said the two girls lost everything in the house fire.
Resources for those experiencing domestic violence
For Saint Martha's crisis hotline number, call 314-533-1313.
You can call the Safe Connections Crisis Helpline at 314-531-2003. You can also text that number from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, free of charge.
Alternatives to Living In Violent Environments also has a crisis line at 314-993-2777, and they have a number for Franklin County at 800-941-9144.