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Illustration of the St. Louis skyline across the river, with foliage in the foreground. Simiya Sudduth

The Marshall Project — St. Louis

Exposing abuses in the criminal justice system in St. Louis and Missouri through investigative, data and community engagement journalism.

St. Louis
Sandra Hemme’s 43-Year Fight for Innocence Reflects Pitfalls in Missouri’s Justice System
Even after a judge declared her innocent and ordered her freed, the Missouri attorney general tried to send her back.
Sandra “Sandy” Hemme, an older White woman with medium-length gray hair and glasses, wears a blue jean jacket and stands outside in front of a lake and some trees.
A photo collage displays a jail, a brick building surrounded by wire fences, men in jail uniforms holding a burning fabric by a broken window, a demolition excavator, a badge that reads “City of St. Louis Division of Corrections” and a text clipping.
St. Louis April 21
St. Louis Jail Is a ‘Potential Powder Keg’
A facility built for progress reflects ‘decades of neglect’ and the city’s deepest struggles, from mental illness to systemic dysfunction.
By
An illustration shows an aerial view of a couple getting married inside a room. The couple stands in front of an officiant at a podium. Guests are seated behind the couple. Four panels at the edge of the illustration suggest a person in a blue prison uniform being body scanned, a couple holding hands, a hand getting stamped and wedding rings on a table.
Life Inside February 14
Prison Wedding Rules: No Cake, No Lace, But Lots of Love
St. Louis activist Khanika Harper found the perfect way to marry her passion for justice with the power of love: She became a prison wedding officiant.
By Khanika Harper as told to
A composite photo of, from left: Jesse Bogan, a White man with glasses; Ivy Scott, a Black woman; Katie Moore, a Korean American woman; and Will Lager, a White man with glasses.
News and Awards February 11
The Marshall Project Announces St. Louis Local News Team
This will be our third local news team; this one will produce investigative, data and engagement journalism to serve audiences across Missouri.
By The Marshall Project
The Mississippi River is visible in the foreground of a photo, with the Gateway Arch in the center. Buildings are in the background, and a blue sky with clouds is visible.
Get Involved February 11
Got a Story About the Justice System in St. Louis? We’re All Ears
Your input helps us decide what issues The Marshall Project - St. Louis should dig into next.
By
A view from above the awning of the St. Louis Police Department headquarters' entrance, where a man is standing in front of the metal doors. The man’s face is not visible.
Feature June 10, 2024
5 Takeaways From Our Series on St. Louis Homicide Investigations
The police department has struggled to solve homicides, partly due to shoddy detective work, staffing shortages and eroding community trust.
By Rachel Lippmann, St. Louis Public Radio; Tom Scheck and Jennifer Lu, APM Reports
Clockwise from top left: Mary Ann Johnson; Calvin Fletcher; Angel Mays; Erica Jones; Monthane Miller-Jones; Carlos Amos; Ronda Williams.
Feature June 7, 2024
St. Louis Homicide Cases Often Go Unsolved. Victims’ Families Want Justice.
These St. Louis families have waited years for answers. They say police seem to have forgotten their loved ones.
By Shahla Farzan, Rachel Lippmann and Brian Munoz, St. Louis Public Radio; and Tom Scheck, APM Reports
In a photo collage in tones of yellow and black and white, from left, The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department (SLMPD) seal; two members of the St. Louis Police Department Crime Lab walking with their backs to the camera; DNA testing strips and a person using a microscope; dollar bills being cut with scissors; two members of the SLMPD overlaid on a chart that shows that in 2011, there were 921 officers and in 2024, there were 650 officers; Additional text says “Homicide numbers spiked as police staffing dropped.”
Feature June 6, 2024
As Murders Increased, St. Louis Police Struggled for Resources to Solve Cases
The city’s homicide unit has dealt with short staffing, long hours and a ballooning DNA backlog.
By Tom Scheck and Jennifer Lu, APM Reports; Rachel Lippmann, St. Louis Public Radio
In a photo collage, from left, a photo of Former St. Louis Metropolitan Police Officer Lafeal Lawshea, a Black man; a gun in a clear plastic bag; a police vehicle; crime scene markers; Retired Sgt. Heather Taylor, a Black woman; white pills; a document from the Missouri Circuit Court that has handwriting that says “Defendant’s motion to suppress evidence is…”; and a photo of former Officer Ronald Vaughan.
Feature June 5, 2024
Some St. Louis Detectives May Have Botched Homicide Investigations
Several officers in the homicide unit faced internal complaints that they slept on the job, failed to get key evidence and lied to superiors.
By Rachel Lippmann, St. Louis Public Radio; Tom Scheck and Jennifer Lu, APM Reports
A Black woman with blonde hair gestures outside of an abandoned brick home and a home with white siding while wearing a white hoodie that says “Whitney’s World!” on it.
Feature June 4, 2024
In St. Louis, a Racial Disparity in Whose Killings Get Solved
In the past decade, police solved fewer than half of the homicide cases with Black victims and two-thirds of the cases with White ones.
By Tom Scheck and Jennifer Lu, APM Reports, and Rachel Lippmann, St. Louis Public Radio
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