A tear ran down Spencie Walker's right cheek and he buried it in the shoulder of his blue jailhouse jumpsuit this morning in a St. Louis County courtroom.
Only the 21-year-old Walker knows whether the tear resulted from the predicament he is in, because of what he's done, or both.
Walker was charged today with two counts of second-degree murder in the shooting death of Stanley Boody, 35. Boody was shot in an apartment at 227 W. Third St., during a drug deal gone awry, on June 14 and died the next day after about five hours of surgery.
A bullet from a .45-caliber handgun traveled from the right side of the victim's back and lodged in his upper left bicep. The preliminary cause of death has been ruled exsanguination -- loss of blood.
St. Louis County prosecutor Mark Rubin told St. Louis County Judicial Officer Gerald Maher that Walker is an extreme threat to public safety and requested that bail be set at $300,000. Maher granted the request.
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Walker has a Duluth address, but Rubin said that the defendant is originally from another state and didn't appear to have a permanent residence in the area.
According to the criminal complaint, Boody had set up a marijuana sale at the apartment. When the marijuana was laid on the floor, Walker took out the gun, pointed it at the people in the room, and spoke words to the effect that he was not playing, he was going to rob them and that he would kill all of them.
Walker struck an unidentified victim in the head with the gun. As that victim was bleeding and fell, Boody tried to intervene and jumped at the defendant. A struggle ensued and two shots were fired. One shot struck the defendant and exited through his back.
Police officers recovered two .45-caliber shell casings. They also found the gun in the basement area of the home with a round in the chamber, rounds in the magazine and the hammer cocked.
Rubin told Maher that Walker claims to have been shot by a stranger at the door of the apartment. Rubin said Walker continued to be hostile toward law enforcement when he was arrested after running from the scene.
Walker is accused of intentional second-degree murder and second-degree murder while committing or attempting to commit aggravated robbery. His next court appearance is scheduled for July 14.
