Teen Faces Double Murder Charges

ST. LOUIS COUNTY – A St. Louis man has been charged in the fatal shooting of two men during the aftermath of an armed robbery earlier this month near North Hanley Road in St. Louis County, authorities said Thursday, July 23, 2026.

The St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office said Makell Hemphill, 18, of the 100 block of North 17th Street in St. Louis, was charged July 23, 2026, with two counts of second-degree murder, felony murder, and two counts of armed criminal action. He is being held on a $1 million cash-only bond, with no 10% option.

According to the probable cause statement, the shootings happened about 11:50 p.m. July 5, 2026, near 4300 North Hanley, when Hemphill, “acting with others,” robbed victims identified as JW and #2 at gunpoint. Authorities said JW and #2 then attempted to pursue the robbers, and victim CS and two other citizens tried to help them. During the immediate flight from the robbery, investigators said, Hemphill and one of his accomplices shot and killed JW and CS.

The deceased were identified as 33-year-old Charles Sanders Jr., of the 4200 block of Oregon Avenue in St. Louis, and 29-year-old Johnell Wilder-Lawson, of the 4400 block of Esseldale Drive in St. Ann.

Previously released information from St. Louis County Police said a male and a female were walking on MetroLink property when four male suspects approached them, displayed a firearm, and demanded the victims’ bag. After the victims turned over their belongings, the suspects fled. Other males who witnessed the robbery then ran and helped the victims chase the suspects. The two groups got into a fight, and the suspects fired shots, police said.

Police said one of the men who died was the original male victim and the second was a member of the assisting party. One victim was treated and released from an area hospital, and another remained hospitalized, according to the earlier release.

“This incident is a reminder that robberies can happen quickly and unexpectedly. Your safety is always more important than your belongings. If you are the victim of or witness to a robbery, get to a safe place and call 911. Do not intervene unless it is necessary to protect yourself or someone else from immediate harm,” said Lt. Erich Von Almen, commander of the Bureau of Crimes Against Persons.

The St. Louis County Police Department’s Bureau of Crimes Against Persons is leading the investigation.

Authorities noted that charges are accusations and that defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.