ST. PETERS, MO – An 18-year-old man from Missouri, Jackson Pierce, is facing charges after being accused of shooting a man fifteen times and then hiding his body inside an air mattress. The victim, identified as Dalton Coleman, was found wrapped in an air mattress with a plastic bag tied around his head using an electrical cord, elaborated court documents.
Residing in a house located in St. Peters, Pierce was arrested with an unnamed juvenile suspect. The St. Peters Police Department confirmed the arrests were made without any incident following a tip-off from an attorney for a witness reporting a potential homicide.
St. Peters police conducted an initial probe, which revealed that Pierce and Coleman knew each other and that a house altercation led to the shooting. The gunfire ultimately resulted in the homicide. The police learned from the witness that Pierce had called him to report Coleman’s erratic behavior and demands for unidentified belongings. The witness attempted to calm the situation, advising Pierce to move valuable items and a firearm to another room.
However, Pierce called the witness a few minutes later to confess to shooting and killing Coleman. Pierce alleged that Coleman tried to physically assault him and then struggled over the firearm after forcing his way into a room. The witness shared with the police that Pierce fired approximately 14 shots at Coleman. The number was close to the amount of gunshots confirmed by an autopsy, which detected around 15 gunshot wounds on the body.
After the witness prompted Pierce to contact the police, Pierce decided not to do so. As Pierce was taken into custody, an officer overheard him expressing regret for not calling the police himself.
For his alleged role in the homicide, Pierce has received several charges. These include second-degree murder, armed criminal activity, and evidence tampering. Pierce is currently detained and expected to be moved to St. Charles County Jail on a cash-only bond of $1 million. The juvenile suspect is under the jurisdiction of St. Charles County Family Court.