A 15-year-old boy dressed as a clown has been arrested in connection with the stabbing death of a 76-year-old man in East St. Louis, Illinois. The suspect allegedly whispered threatening messages into doorbell cameras shortly before the attack.
Incident Details
Police were called to a residential neighborhood at around 10pm on Monday, August 3, after reports of a body lying by the side of the road. The victim was identified as John Wesley Allen Sr, who died from multiple stab wounds, according to the coroner.
The teenager was arrested by Illinois State Police on Tuesday. Doorbell camera footage posted to social media, timestamped around 9pm, shows a person in a clown costume approaching a neighboring home and saying, “I’ve been looking for you.” Other footage shows the clown saying, “I have a gift for you.”
Neighbor Accounts
Neighbors told local media they saw the teen wandering the streets with a large knife on Monday. Corrine Spry said she watched him roam the area for about 45 minutes before police arrived. “He was up to no good,” she said. “We’re pretty positive he circled back around in these woods because you could hear the sticks breaking.”
Lee Palmer said his mother was home alone when the clown appeared on their porch. “I couldn’t believe it. He was dressed in the clown outfit. That was kind of spooky for her.” He added, “He was not in the right state of mind to walk on somebody’s porch like that. It’s just unimaginable.”
Police Response
Illinois State Police said in a statement: “Video footage of the suspect dressed in a clown costume has been circulating and ISP is currently working to collect all relevant video.” Investigators have urged anyone with information or additional surveillance footage to contact them.
