An Alton man has been handed down a 35-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to first-degree murder in connection to a tragic shooting that claimed the life of 13-year-old Ra’Niya Steward. The guilty plea by 20-year-old Raysean M. Colvin was confirmed yesterday, according to court documents obtained by Riverbender. Steward was standing on the porch of a relative's home when she was struck in the head by a fatal bullet on February 3, 2024.
Colvin, being in the vicinity during the shooting and providing the weapons used, was not identified as the shooter. Still, his involvement led to the serious charges. Madison County State’s Attorney Tom Haine was quoted in the report by Riverbender, expressing on behalf of Ra'Niya’s family, “We are still praying for Ra'Niya’s family. At least there is some closure starting to come. The family was on board with this decision. I want to commend the prosecution team on the fantastic job handling this case.”
Other suspects implicated in the death of Steward include 17-year-old Vito Crowder, 17-year-old Dakota Perry, 25-year-old Keith Sanders, and 20-year-old Alvin Perry III, all resident of Alton. As revealed by First Alert 4, their trials are yet to occur. Initially, the suspects faced attempted murder charges which were upgraded to first-degree murder following Steward's death at a St. Louis hospital.
Adding to this solemn narrative, an investigation conducted by Alton Police suggested that the tragic loss of young Ra’Niya was a bitter case of being 'in the wrong place at the wrong time,' as detailed by Advantage News. The article also pointed out that the identified group had initially aimed at someone else as she stood outside a house on Highland Avenue.
