ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. – A man facing a murder charge in Columbia, Missouri, is now accused of breaking into a south St. Louis County car dealership earlier this month and stealing a pickup truck, among other items.
According to the St. Louis County Police Department’s probable cause statement, the break-in happened on Oct. 10 at the Dave Sinclair Ford dealership on South Lindbergh Boulevard near Lemay Ferry Road.
Police said Byron C. Sampson, 20, broke a glass door at the dealership around 1:25 a.m. and rummaged through the building, prying open key boxes, a safe, doors, and drawers. Sampson took several key fobs, a Smith and Wesson 357 revolver in the safe, gift cards, miscellaneous electronics, $3,000 in cash, and other dealership property. He also took debit and credit cards from a customer vehicle in the service area.
Just after 4:45 a.m., police said Sampson stole a gray 2021 Dodge Ram 1500 pickup truck that was for sale. Sampson then drove to Columbia.
According to the Columbia Police Department’s probable cause statement, officers responded to a report of shots fired just after 8:10 a.m. in the 1900 block of Boyd Lane.
Officers arrived at the scene and found the stolen Dodge Ram pickup crashed into a wooded area. The victim, identified as Traquan Reed of Columbia, had been hit by the truck and was unconscious at the scene. Reed was taken to a local hospital, where he later died. He was 18.
The items stolen from Dave Sinclair Ford were either recovered in the truck or located nearby.
Columbia police said Sampson was located and arrested approximately one block away from the crash scene. Investigators said Sampson was wearing the same clothing from the break-in at the dealership.
The St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office charged Sampson with stealing – $25,000 or more, second-degree burglary, and two counts of stealing. The Boone County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office charged Sampson with second-degree murder.
Sampson remains jailed without bond. He’s scheduled to appear in Boone County Circuit Court on Nov. 7.
Meanwhile, two other men have been arrested in connection with the shooting: Julius Mosby, 18, and Demetrius Mays Jr., 22. Mosby was arrested in Indianapolis and Mays was taken into custody in Columbia.
