On the morning of June 28, 2020, officers in Saint Louis were called to an alley in the 5900 block of Emma Avenue, along the border of Walnut Park West and Walnut Park East, where a human body had been found severely burned. The remains were difficult to identify at first; about a week later the victim was confirmed as 47-year-old Antirrill Johnson.

Homicide detectives say witness statements and physical evidence indicate Johnson was shot, placed into a vehicle, driven to the alley and set on fire. Forensic technicians reportedly found traces of Johnson’s blood on a vehicle linked to a suspect, and video surveillance is said to have placed that vehicle in the recovery area.

In August 2021 the St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office issued charges against 34-year-old Brandon Taylor for first-degree murder, armed criminal action and abandonment of a corpse; Taylor was already in federal custody on unrelated charges when the warrant was issued. Does anyone have information about Johnson’s last movements or who might have seen him in Walnut Park that week?