A Missouri woman had died in the hands of her brother after he killed her Sunday evening in a town called Black Jack.
John Freeman was charged with second-degree murder and armed criminal action in connection to the homicide.
Police officials responded to a call for an assault just before 8 PM Sunday. When they arrived at the scene, Freeman, 69, answered the door and admitted that he had just murdered his sister. The woman, 67-year-old Silvia Freeman, died from stab wounds to the neck with major blood loss. Authorities also found broken glass covered in blood at the scene where she was pronounced dead. Her brother is currently being held on a $500,000 cash-only bond.
Detectives at the St. Louis County Police Department’s Crimes Against Persons are currently investigating the murder. Anyone with information is asked to call the St. Louis County Police Department at 636-529-8210 or CrimeStoppers at 866-371-8477.
“County police have investigated 48 homicides this year,” said Missouri police Sgt. Tracy Panus. “Twenty-nine of those homicides were in unincorporated St. Louis County, eight were in municipalities that contract with the county for police services, and 11 were in other municipalities in the county,” according to St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
KSDK, a local news station in Missouri, has compiled a list of resources for friends and family of crime victims.
Better Family Life is a nonprofit community development organization working to “stabilize inner-city neighborhoods.” One aspect of its mission is a gun violence de-escalation program.
Life Outside of Violence “helps those harmed by stabbing, gunshot or assault receive the treatment, support and resources they need to find alternatives to end the cycle of violence.”
The Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis has an anti-crime program called “Safety Net for Youth Initiative,” which is a joint partnership with St. Louis Public Schools to provide services to at-risk youth.
Cure Violence is an international organization that has recently launched in a handful of St. Louis neighborhoods. Violence interrupters are trained to deescalate violent situations within their own communities.
