Grief is hanging heavy over a pocket of south St. Louis after 33-year-old Steven Nodiff was killed in what police describe as an intentional hit-and-run in the Dutchtown neighborhood. Investigators say a driver deliberately rammed into Nodiff as he rode his bike through an alley near South Grand and Itaska. Nodiff died at the scene, and officers later arrested a suspect who is now facing homicide charges.
Police Say Driver Ditched Car Before Murder Charge
Prosecutors have charged 50-year-old Edward Duncan with first-degree murder and armed criminal action, according to KMOV. Responding officers were called to the 4700 block of South Grand Boulevard, where they found a damaged garage and an abandoned car in the alley behind a home. Court documents cited by the station state that the driver left the vehicle and took off on foot after the collision.
Family Remembers a Rider With a ‘Heart of Gold’
Nodiff’s family describes him as the kind of friend who showed up for people and chased big adventures on two wheels, according to KSDK. Relatives said he once pedaled all the way from St. Louis to Nashville on a single trip and that losing him has torn a large hole in their close circle.
Family members identified him as a 33-year-old originally from Oakville who had been living with friends in south St. Louis. Police later found the suspect hiding under a bed after the crash, the outlet reports. Loved ones summed him up simply, saying "he had a heart of gold."
Investigators: Alley Crash Followed Earlier Confrontation
Court filings indicate the deadly collision did not come out of nowhere. Documents referenced by KMOX state that a confrontation happened at a different location before the crash, and that the driver then pursued Nodiff and intentionally hit him in the alley.
Investigators say the impact forced Nodiff into a garage, which was left damaged, and that the driver ran from the scene. The suspect was later found and taken into custody.
What the Charges Mean Under Missouri Law
The Circuit Attorney's Office has filed first-degree murder and armed criminal action charges, offenses that carry some of Missouri’s toughest potential penalties if a jury convicts. Under state law, murder in the first degree is a Class A felony punishable by death or by life in prison without the possibility of parole, according to the Missouri Revisor of Statutes.
Prosecutors say Duncan is being held in the city jail without bond while the case moves forward, according to KMOX. Nodiff’s relatives say they want the legal process to play out and are urging anyone who has video or information about what happened to share it with investigators.
