Deon Keith Eddington, a young man known for his humor and love for his family, was killed in St. Louis, Missouri, on Tuesday, June 23, 2015. He was a 25-year-old Black man who, according to those who loved him, was full of life. His death left a void in the lives of his extensive family, including his mother, Shirley Eddington, his stepfather, Michael Hogan, and his two young sons, Deon Jr. and Charreon. Deon was also a cherished brother to Leon Spinks III and Daveon Eddington, and sisters Michelle Hogan, Irene Watson, and Sherrell Hogan.
The shooting occurred in the Hyde Park neighborhood of North St. Louis. Officers from the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department were called to the 2000 block of Salisbury Street after reports of gunfire. When they arrived, they found Deon suffering from gunshot wounds. Emergency medical services were unable to save him, and he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police reported that a second person was also shot and injured in the incident but survived.
The investigation into Deon’s homicide was handled by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department. In the immediate aftermath, detectives canvassed the area for witnesses and any evidence that might lead to the person or people responsible for the shooting. However, the case quickly grew cold. Despite appeals to the public for information, few leads emerged. For years, Deon’s murder has remained unsolved, with no suspects publicly identified and no arrests made, leaving his family without answers or a sense of justice.
The Hyde Park neighborhood, where Deon lost his life, is a historic area on the city's north side, characterized by its distinctive 19th-century architecture. Like many urban neighborhoods, it has faced challenges over the years, and the summer of 2015 was a particularly violent period for the city of St. Louis. The lack of resolution in Deon’s case is a painful reality for many families in the city who have lost loved ones to violence.
Tragedy struck the Eddington family again three years later. On June 16, 2018, Deon’s brother, 29-year-old Daveon Eddington, was also shot and killed in a separate incident in the College Hill neighborhood of St. Louis. This compounded loss deepened the family's grief as they were forced to mourn another son and brother taken by gun violence.
Deon Keith Eddington was laid to rest at Laurel Hill Memorial Gardens in St. Louis. His obituary remembers him as a humorous and vibrant person who was deeply loved by his family and friends. The case of his murder remains open but inactive. As of late 2023, there has been no publicly announced progress in the investigation by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department. The absence of closure continues to be a source of pain for a family that has endured unimaginable loss.
