WENTZVILLE, Mo. — Heather Lilie can't stop wiping away the tears. Tears for her dad, Richard Lilie, Jr., whom she cannot believe is no longer with her.
"He was a rock star growing up. He was the coolest guy I knew," she said.
Heather said her dad had a wonderful personality, loved cooking for family and friends and had a heart of gold.
"He was always willing to help other people. If you needed to move, if you needed help financially, he would do anything he could for the people he loved, and, for strangers, too," said Lilie's grieving daughter.
47 Year old Richard Lilie, of Wentzville, worked as an independent contractor for St. Louis County Cab Company for 8 years.
His daughter said Rich knew at any moment the job could be dangerous.
"He often took many routes that other cab drivers really wouldn't. I wish that we could have convinced him to take safer routes," said Heather Lilie.
On Thursday morning, terrible news quickly spread.
Police say Lilie was found shot to death on Bon Oak Drive in North St. Louis County.
The suspect, Antouine Redmon of Florissant, is charged with first-degree murder and armed criminal action.
Police said after talking to Rich Lilie's company, they found his cab abandoned on Taney Drive in Florissant. Officers also say when they arrested Redmon they saw him rifling through Lilie's trunk.
"I'm super, super thankful that they were able to quickly apprehend him," Heather Lilie said. "I just don't understand how somebody could throw away their life and my father's life and gain really nothing in return. It's just so hard when something like this happens to your family."
Detectives found a bag with bloody clothes and bloody gloves next door to Redmon's home. Police said those items were tested, and DNA matching the victim was found on the outside and inside the bloody gloves. According to a probable cause statement, DNA matching Redmon was found on the inside of the gloves.
Investigators also said Redmon admitted he killed Lilie during a robbery.
"It's just so hard. No matter what they do to him, with him, I will never have my father back. It's just something you can't fix," said Heather Lilie.
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