Texas couple charged in shooting death of Missouri high schooler on her way to the zoo
A Texas couple has been charged in connection with the fatal shooting of a 17-year-old girl on a Missouri freeway while she was driving to a zoo. Authorities allege the husband committed the shooting while the wife assisted in hindering the subsequent police investigation.
Why it matters
The incident highlights ongoing concerns regarding random acts of violence on public highways and the complexities of interstate criminal prosecution.
A couple from Texas were charged this week in the deadly freeway shooting of a 17-year-old high school girl who was driving to the zoo for a Halloween celebration. The St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office in Missouri charged Willie Herndon, 42, with first-degree murder and armed criminal action in connection with last week’s attack, which killed Alyssa Wilson, authorities said Monday. Taiya Herndon, who investigators said is his wife, is charged with hindering prosecution, accused of driving her husband to an Illinois hotel 12 miles from St. Louis, prosecuting attorney Melissa Price Smith said at a news conference Monday. It’s not clear whether either of the two, from Arlington, Texas, has a lawyer. The state public defender’s office for the area did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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