Kenneth Leon Whitehorn, a 58-year-old African American man from St. Louis, Missouri, was found deceased in Granite City, Illinois, on April 24, 2025. His body was located near Alton Street and Pontoon Road after investigators determined he had been fatally shot in the head on April 20, 2025. The Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis led the investigation.

After an investigation that involved 27 detectives and nearly 100 leads, three people were charged in connection with Whitehorn’s death. DeWayne Franklin, 41, faces two counts of first-degree murder, felon in possession of a weapon, and aggravated unlawful possession of weapons; court documents say Franklin, or someone legally accountable to him, fired the fatal shot. Brittany Howard, 37, is charged with three counts of first-degree murder and armed robbery and is accused of personally shooting Whitehorn and stealing money and drugs. Michael McCollum, 75, was charged with obstruction of justice and unlawful possession of weapons for allegedly attempting to clean the vehicle used in the crime and providing false information to investigators.

Franklin and McCollum were held at the St. Louis County Jail pending transfer to Madison County Jail. Howard remained at large and was described by authorities as armed and dangerous. If anyone has information about Howard’s whereabouts or other details relevant to the case, please share what is known with investigators.