Overview
- Police say 78-year-old John Wesley Allen Sr. was fatally stabbed while waiting at a bus stop in East St. Louis, and officers found his body after a report late on Monday.
- Investigators quickly identified and arrested a 15-year-old at a residence the same night and the teen was formally charged with first-degree murder on Thursday.
- Doorbell and neighborhood surveillance footage showing a person in a clown costume has circulated online, but state police have not authenticated all social-media clips while they continue evidence collection.
- Family members described Allen as a Navy veteran, retired bus driver and active churchgoer and said they were stunned that the attack appeared random.
- Prosecutors have asked a juvenile court to transfer the case so the teen can be tried as an adult, a step that would allow prosecutors to seek adult penalties including life in prison if he is convicted.