ST. LOUIS — Well … it's certainly been a year for St. Louis.
There was no shortage of local news to cover in 2023. From political shakeups to iconic animals and unique crime to gripping sports stories, the past year will live on in our minds for years to come.
To celebrate the end of this interesting year, 5 On Your Side has compiled a look back at some of the stories that defined St. Louis. Take a walk down memory lane with us in the list below:
Robert Tracy named the new St. Louis Metropolitan Police Chief
St. Louis police decided to make history in 2023 before the year even started. In late Dec. 2022, the city's police department announced it would, for the first time in history, hire a new chief from outside the department.
The department chose Robert Tracy, the then-police chief of Wilmington, Delaware, as the city's next top cop. During his first speaking engagement after being named chief, Tracy painted a progressive picture of how his time as chief would differ from the city's past.
“I promise you there will be a transparent plan that will be out there, but I have to get out and look under the hood to make sure that I see what’s going on and I know the issues that are here," Tracy said.
Tracy's promise of transparency has yet to be fulfilled a year into his tenure. The recent police crash into Bar:PM is the latest example of Tracy's lack of involvement.
READ MORE: Byers' Beat: Paging Chief Robert Tracy
The Janae Edmondson crash and the legacy of Kim Gardner
25,000 cases dismissed, over $350,000 in taxpayer money, and countless violations of the Crime Victims' Rights Act: just some of what Kim Gardner will be known for during her time as St. Louis Circuit Attorney.
Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey released a 62-page report on Gardner to 5 On Your Side's I-Team earlier this year, summarizing what his office found within tens of thousands of documents and interviews with nearly 40 witnesses.
What would become the Kim Gardner saga started when a man struck a 17-year-old girl with his car while speeding in downtown St. Louis in February. The girl, named Janae Edmonds, lost both of her legs from the crash. The man, named Daniel Riley, was supposed to go to trial for alleged armed robbery months before the crash but didn't because Gardner's office wasn't ready to go to court.
Edmondson has since left rehab and returned to her home. Gardner has since resigned, and it's still not clear whether she will be held accountable.
SEE THE FULL TIMELINE: 'The evidence was so overwhelming': Missouri AG releases final report in investigation against Kim Gardner
Child predator's 16 hours on the run
He stole a handcuff key from guards, escaped from Mercy Hospital South, and evaded a county-wide manhunt for nearly a day.
Tommy Wayne Boyd's runaway attempt had the city on high alert in September, and the investigation of his whereabouts during his time free added more layers to the story.
Boyd had been imprisoned since 2007 and is serving a 30-year term for trying to convince a child younger than 15 to engage in a sex act with him. During his time at a hospital, Boyd escaped when one of his guards went to the bathroom and the other was asleep. The ensuing chaos of his escape rallied more than 100 police officers and multiple agencies to recapture him.
During his time out, Boyd reportedly applied for a job, hitchhiked, and ate a hot dog at a voter registration event before ultimately being arrested at a Dierbergs grocery store.
READ THE FULL STORY: Escaped child predator got up to ‘some peculiar things’ during 16 hours on the run, police say
Ben the bear's multiple Saint Louis Zoo escapes
Ben was determined to see the world outside the Saint Louis Zoo. After two escape acts, he got his wish.
An Andean bear at the Zoo, Ben escaped his enclosure at the Rivers Edge area of the zoo in early February. The escape didn't seem to be the result of Ben's tampering with the habitat or the result of human involvement. The zoo vowed to inspect the habitat so the incident wouldn't happen again.
Before the inspection was complete, Ben went on the run, again. This time, Ben reportedly tore through stainless steel clips added after his last attempt to secure his enclosure.
Through sheer tenacity and his extreme curiosity, Ben's wish to travel was finally granted when Zoo personnel decided in March to transfer him to Gladys Porter Zoo in Brownsville, Texas.
Raja finding a new home
After more than three decades at the Saint Louis Zoo, Raja the Asian elephant will be finding a new home to save his species from extinction.
Zoo officials announced in December that Raja will be moving to the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium in late 2024 or early 2025. There, he will have the opportunity to start a new family group with four females and mentor a young male.
“This news is bittersweet for all of us," Saint Louis Zoo Director Michael Macek said in a statement. "We know Raja is dear to his fans and the Zoo family and he’ll be missed here, but we know this is for the best for Raja and the survival of this species. Thirty years of birthday celebrations is something that will live on in everyone’s memories.”
RAJA'S LEGACY: Raja is leaving the Saint Louis Zoo after 3 decades
CITY SC's historic inaugural season
St. Louis' MLS team wrapped up its fairytale year in November. While it wasn't the ending fans hopped for, most looked back on the season fondly and are already preparing for next year.
CITY SC's inaugural season came to an end after falling to rival Sporting Kansas City in Round 1 of the MLS Cup Playoffs. The team finished the regular season with a 17-12-5 record, the most wins by an expansion team in MLS history, and the second-most points scored by an expansion team in MLS history at 56.
TAKE A LOOK BACK AT THE TEAM'S YEAR: St. Louis CITY SC falls short in completing historic inaugural season
Boos fly for Cardinals, Waino sings his swan song
The Cardinals' season was less of a fairytale and more of a nightmare. The team finished with a record of 71-91-0 and a solid 5th place in the National League's Central Division.
Tensions flared early on in the season during the team's 22nd loss. Busch Stadium even erupted into collective "boos" at the end of the game.
Months later, anger would give way to sadness at the team's most recent retiree. Adam Wainwright will have a place in the hearts of Cardinals fans everywhere, especially the more than three million who showed up to his last game of the season.
RELIVE WAINO'S LAST NIGHT: Wainwright celebrates last Cardinals game with thousands of fans
Blues fire head coach
St. Louis' hockey team decided in December to fire the only coach who has brought a Stanley Cup to the city.
The Blues "relieved [Craig Berube] of his coaching duties" on Dec. 12 and named Springfield Thunderbirds head coach Drew Bannister as the interim. The abrupt announcement came in the middle of a four-game losing streak by the Blues, which sunk them to 6th place in the Central Division.
Berube took over as head coach in the middle of the 2018-2019 season for the Blues, and guided the franchise to its first and only Stanley Cup championship later that year, defeating the Boston Bruins in seven games.
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