Two 17-year-old brothers will now face adult charges in St. Louis County after a judge certified them Friday in a high-profile case tied to a 14-year-old boy killed by a stray bullet last October. Prosecutors say the siblings were in one of two groups trading gunfire that night when the boy was hit inside his home. With the certification in hand, the case leaves juvenile court for the adult system, where any conviction could mean far longer prison time.
St. Louis County prosecutors have charged Tyron Bankhead and Tymon Bankhead, both 17, with second-degree murder along with multiple weapons and assault counts. Authorities say each teen is being held on a $1,000,000 cash-only, no-10% bond, and a bond-reduction hearing is on the calendar for July 24, 2026, according to First Alert 4.
What Prosecutors Say Happened
Court documents state that "the fatal shot came from the direction of the Bankhead brothers' group." Prosecutors cite residential camera footage they say shows the brothers and others cutting through backyards and talking through what is described as a tactical approach toward the rival group. A police affidavit referenced in the charging papers also alleges investigators believe the teens are tied to an "ultra-violent" group known as 98 SMACC, per First Alert 4.
The Victim And The Scene
The boy killed was 14-year-old Duwan Morgan, a ninth-grade student at Northview School. Investigators say he was inside his home in the 10200 block of Hobkirk Drive, in the unincorporated Glasgow Village area of north St. Louis County, when he was struck. ShotSpotter detected gunfire on the evening of Oct. 8, 2025, and officers found Morgan at the scene, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
The Stakes In Adult Court
Under Missouri law, second-degree murder is a Class A felony. State statutes say a Class A felony is punishable by a prison term "not less than ten years and not to exceed thirty years, or life imprisonment." Those definitions and penalties are outlined in RSMo 565.021 and RSMo 558.011. Any punishment for the murder charge would come on top of whatever sentences might be imposed for the armed-criminal-action, assault, or unlawful-use counts that have also been filed.
What Happens Next
With the judge's certification, the case now proceeds in adult court. The defendants remain in custody as they wait for the July 24 bond-reduction hearing and other pretrial steps. Neighbors and family members say the killing has left the area badly shaken, and investigators are still asking anyone with information to contact St. Louis County detectives.
