On the night of September 23, 2022, 49-year-old Toni Michelle Stroder was shot at her home on Lilac Drive in Saint Louis, Missouri. Police arrived about 10:16 p.m. and found Stroder and a male companion with gunshot wounds. Both were taken to a hospital; Stroder died of her injuries while the male victim survived with non-life-threatening wounds.

Investigators determined the shooting was not random but grew out of a dispute between people who knew each other. Police say two men went to the home to buy a green leafy substance; during the encounter one suspect took the victim’s firearm and shot Stroder. The male victim was shot as the suspects fled with jars of the substance.

Two suspects were arrested: 45-year-old Ramon Lapid on October 4 and 25-year-old DeSean Pearson on October 17, each charged by the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. Both were held on $500,000 cash-only bond. Did anyone in the area know Stroder or see activity at the Lilac Drive address that night?