A long-running North City homicide case is back on the front burner after a St. Louis grand jury indicted a local man in the 2023 shooting death of a 30-year-old woman.
The indictment, returned this week, formally accuses the suspect of first-degree murder and a slate of related felonies, giving neighbors who have waited for answers a clearer view of where the case is headed next.
Indictment and Charges
Prosecutors say 32-year-old Deondre Powell has been charged with first-degree murder, armed criminal action, domestic assault, kidnapping and unlawful possession of a firearm in connection with the killing of 30-year-old Ametta Powell.
The charges stem from an Aug. 3, 2023 shooting in the 4700 block of Riverview in North City. Police have not publicly said whether Ametta and Deondre Powell are related, according to First Alert 4.
Arrest and Custody
Powell was arrested in August 2023 by U.S. Marshals in Springfield, Illinois. Central Illinois reporting indicates he resisted officers and fired shots during the confrontation before being taken into custody. Springfield police assisted the U.S. Marshals during the arrest on the 2700 block of South MacArthur Boulevard, and Powell was transported to the Sangamon County Jail.
State prison records list a Deondre Powell (DOB Nov. 25, 1993) in the Illinois Department of Corrections, with a parent institution at Menard Correctional Center in southern Illinois, consistent with earlier accounts that he has been held in that region, according to the Illinois Department of Corrections.
What the Charges Mean
Under Missouri law, first-degree murder is a class A felony that carries the state’s harshest penalties, including life in prison or, in cases with statutory aggravating factors, the death penalty. The other counts, including armed criminal action, kidnapping and domestic assault, are separate felonies that can be stacked, potentially adding up to a very long sentence if Powell is convicted on multiple charges.
What’s Next
As of the latest available reporting, it is not yet clear when Powell will be arraigned on the St. Louis charges, and authorities have not clarified any family relationship between him and Ametta Powell, per First Alert 4.
Prosecutors and future court filings are expected to map out the next steps as the case moves deeper into the St. Louis criminal court system.
