On the evening of August 31, 2020, 47-year-old Tommy Lee Parnell Jr., a Black man from St. Louis, was found dead on a sidewalk in the 1300 block of Madison Street in Old North St. Louis. Officers discovered him around 6:30 p.m. with fatal gunshot wounds. Investigators say the attack began when Parnell was blocked in by another vehicle; the assailant pistol-whipped him before shooting him, and authorities characterized the incident as a violent, targeted attack.

Detectives identified a primary suspect, Michael Penton, and linked him to the scene through forensic evidence. Police stopped Penton on September 18, 2020, and a search of his 2008 Ford Focus produced blood droplets that matched Parnell’s DNA. Penton acknowledged being in the area but denied involvement and maintained his innocence, including in a letter to the judge. The first trial in October 2023 ended in a mistrial.

Parnell had recently completed training at the Saint Louis Carpenters Joint Apprenticeship Program and was described by family as a dedicated protector of his family and a skilled tradesman. His parents, children, and siblings endured years of uncertainty before the case was resolved. Does anyone have memories of Tommy or information about the events that night?