John Peyton Keene, known as Peyton to friends and patrons, was shot to death in the early hours of May 29, 2018. He was 51 and was found with a gunshot wound to his abdomen at the intersection of Russell Boulevard and Menard Street in Soulard, in front of the Bastille Bar where he had tended bar for 15 years. He was not working when the shooting occurred and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Keene was remembered by friends, family, and regulars as warm, kind, and welcoming. He had been with his partner, Mark Rumback, for more than 22 years; the couple shared a love of pinball that helped spark their relationship. The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department homicide division opened an investigation but released no information about suspects in the days and weeks after the killing.

The motive remains unknown and no arrest has been announced; the case is listed among unsolved homicides in St. Louis. If anyone knew Peyton, his routines, or saw anything around Russell and Menard the night of May 29, 2018, please share what you know.