Authorities in East St Louis, Illinois, have arrested a 15-year-old boy dressed in a clown costume for the fatal stabbing of a 78-year-old man at a bus stop. The suspect, whose name has not been released, faces a first-degree murder charge that could carry a life sentence if convicted.
Chilling Ring Doorbell Footage
Less than an hour before the victim's body was discovered, the teenager was captured on a Ring doorbell camera outside a home three blocks from the murder scene. In the footage, the boy, wearing a baggy red and black clown suit with his face partially covered, looks directly into the camera and whispers, 'I'm looking for you,' before letting out an eerie chuckle and wandering off into the night.
Local resident Lee Palmer, whose Ring camera recorded the footage, told CNN affiliate KSDK: 'I'm thinking he's going to kill everybody in the house the way he came.' Palmer expressed relief that his elderly mother, who lives alone, did not open her door when the boy approached.
Attack at Bus Stop
East St Louis Police were called to a residential neighbourhood east of Interstate 255 at around 10pm on Monday after receiving reports of a body in the road. County Coroner Calvin Dye Sr. identified the deceased as John Wesley Allen Sr., who had been stabbed multiple times. According to Illinois State Police, Allen was waiting at a bus stop when he was 'randomly' attacked.
Residents in the area reported seeing someone moving between houses with a large knife, with KSDK reporting that the individual was 'peering through windows.' The teenager was arrested at a home later that night and taken into custody.
Prosecutors Seek Adult Trial
Prosecutors have requested that the case be transferred so the suspect can be tried as an adult. A decision on that request has not yet been made. The teen currently faces a first-degree murder charge in the fatal stabbing, which carries a life sentence in Illinois.
Family Mourns a 'Loving Man'
Allen's family has paid tribute to him, with his niece, Tenia Stanford, calling him a 'loving man' and saying: 'My uncle has been driving buses [for] over 35 years, and this is the first time ever something happened to him.' His sister, Marie Stanford, added: 'He's the best brother that someone took away. I'm going to miss him.'
Allen was a Navy veteran and resided in a senior living complex in St Louis. He had attended a hospital appointment the morning of his death and planned to visit his sister later that day; she lived near the bus stop where he was fatally attacked. Marie Stanford expressed confusion over the attack, saying: 'I'm just wondering why this person did this,' with Tenia adding: 'Now we have to sit here and go through this pain and suffering because of some random act.'
