A 15-year-old boy has been charged with murder after a 78-year-old man was found dead with stab wounds. The suspect was allegedly captured on doorbell cameras dressed as a clown, whispering sinister messages before the attack.
Victim found near bus stop
The victim, John Wesley Allen Sr, was reportedly waiting at a bus stop when he was randomly stabbed to death. Police found him lying in the road near his home in East St Louis, Illinois, USA, at around 10pm local time (4am Tuesday UK time).
The teenage suspect, who has not been named for legal reasons, was allegedly seen going door-to-door dressed as a clown in the neighbourhood on Monday night (August 3). Police confirmed that he was arrested on Tuesday before being charged with first-degree murder on Thursday (August 6).
Doorbell camera footage
One clip, shared by a local resident on Facebook, shows him saying: "I've been looking for you." Illinois State Police said that "video footage of the suspect dressed in a clown costume has been circulating." They added that they were working to "collect all relevant video" and the investigation remains ongoing.
Residents speak out
Local residents have since spoken out about the ordeal. Lee Palmer, whose mother was home alone when the suspect reportedly appeared on her front porch, told FirstAlert4: "He's going to kill everybody in the house. Why out of all the houses, why come to this house?" He added: "I couldn't believe it. That was kind of spooky for her." Palmer also recommended his neighbours to install a doorbell camera.
Corrine Spry, who also lives in the neighbourhood, was on the back porch with her family when she spotted the reported attacker with a knife. She said he was "up to no good" and added: "We're pretty positive he circled back around in these woods, because you could hear the sticks breaking."
Officers arrested the suspect nearby and he remains in police custody. A coroner has determined that Mr Allen died of stab wounds.
