Jared McClenton, a 27-year-old Black man, was found dead in St. Louis on July 16, 2020, in circumstances described as suspicious. His body showed trauma; the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department later determined he had sustained multiple gunshot wounds, including a fatal head wound, and recorded the death as a homicide during a summer that saw a rise in violence.

Homicide detectives canvassed the area for witnesses and sought surveillance footage but encountered obstacles in developing concrete leads. No arrests had been announced as of the last reports, and the investigation remained open and active with police asking the public for information. Family and friends have kept McClenton’s memory alive online and used his nicknames J Red and J Black in memorials.

If anyone has information about where Jared was before July 16, 2020, or saw suspicious activity in that area, please come forward to investigators.