In a gruesome incident that shocked the community, 18-year-old Jackson Pierce of St. Peters, Missouri, is facing second-degree murder charges for the alleged killing of 23-year-old Dalton Coleman. Pierce, who entered a plea of not guilty, has been assigned a public defender, as reported by NBC News on Friday, January 12, 2024.
The chilling details of the crime emerged after a witness alerted the police, having left Pierce’s residence where three individuals, including Pierce, were present. Pierce claimed self-defense, stating that Coleman had attempted to punch him during a struggle over a gun in the bedroom, according to a probable cause statement reviewed by NBC News.
Pierce informed the witness that he shot Coleman three to four times initially, but when the victim did not go down, Pierce continued firing, ultimately shooting him a total of 14 times, as per the probable cause statement.
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After hours of surveillance on Pierce’s home, law enforcement summoned a county SWAT unit, resulting in the apprehension of Pierce and a juvenile, according to the probable cause statement. A subsequent search of Pierce’s residence uncovered a tightly rolled air mattress encased in an electrical cord.
The chilling revelation came to light as the probable cause statement noted, “It was later discovered victim 1’s corpse had been placed inside the air mattress with a white plastic garbage bag secured around his head with an electrical cord.”
Pierce claimed that Coleman forcibly entered his bedroom, leading to a physical altercation. He alleged that Coleman attempted to strike him and reach for the gun, but Pierce managed to gain control, firing it 14 times until it was empty, as detailed in the statement.
Upon further investigation, the police found 13 shell casings in the bedroom, and Pierce confessed to rolling Coleman’s body into the air mattress and relocating it to another bedroom.
In addition to second-degree murder, Pierce faces charges of armed criminal action and tampering with physical evidence. He is currently held at the St. Charles County Jail on a $1 million cash-only bond.
The case involving the juvenile is being addressed in county family court. St. Peters, located approximately 30 miles northwest of downtown St. Louis, is grappling with the aftermath of this shocking and tragic incident.
