Prosecutors on Thursday dropped the case against a man once charged in the December killing of a teenager in the Gravois Park neighborhood of south St. Louis, abruptly halting the courtroom battle and leaving the investigation hanging as family and neighbors continue to look for answers.
Police identified the victim as 17-year-old Romel White, who was found shot on Dec. 23 in the 3600 block of Minnesota Avenue. Authorities later arrested 20-year-old Marcus Allen in February on first-degree murder and armed criminal action charges, according to the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department. Homicide detectives responded to the scene, and the department noted that the investigation remained active after the arrests. Records and charging documents underpinned the prosecution that has now been dismissed.
The dropped charges were first detailed Thursday by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, which reported that prosecutors had moved to dismiss the case. That account effectively served as the public’s first formal notice that, at least for now, the criminal case has been abandoned.
Earlier coverage spelled out the allegations that led to the arrests: investigators said a witness told police the suspects had planned to kill White and that one of the men passed a gun to the other before the shooting, as reported by First Alert 4. That reporting also noted that both Marcus Allen and Corion Harris-Wicks were later charged with first-degree murder and armed criminal action. Those earlier allegations formed the backbone of the case that prosecutors have now stepped away from.
What A Prosecutor’s Dismissal Can Mean
Under Missouri law, a prosecuting or circuit attorney has the discretion to dismiss charges. When that happens before double-jeopardy protections kick in, the dismissal is generally "without prejudice," which means prosecutors can refile within the applicable limits. A dismissal "with prejudice" would shut the door on bringing the same charges again. See Missouri Revised Statute on FindLaw.
