ST. LOUIS – A 91-year-old woman was killed inside her home the day before Thanksgiving last year and the residence was set ablaze. Her family is still waiting for the case to be solved.
The victim, Erline Pierce, was like a mother in her neighborhood. She let a lot of people into her home and detectives believe that generosity could have played a part in her untimely death.
From the age of 4, Tyron Pierce was raised by his grandmother, Erline. He calls her mom and described her as feisty but also caring.
Erline taught Tyrone a lot about work ethic and pushed him to honor the commitment he made to the US Navy. Tyrone served 24 years, then retired and moved back to St. Louis to be close to Erline.
She was still living in the home he grew up in in the Baden neighborhood and was friends with everyone.
On November 27, 2019, Erline and Tyrone were finalizing their Thanksgiving plans. Tyrone got a call that Erline’s home was on fire and she was gone.
Lt. Scott Aubuchon, the head of the St. Louis Metro Homicide Division, said an autopsy revealed Erline was murdered before the fire was set.
Aubuchon and Tyrone both believe that someone who Erline let into her home is responsible for killing her.
“It’s very possible that someone was there that day, present when the suspect was there with the victim,” Aubuchon said. “Maybe left before anything happened but still might know something.”
If you know anything you are asked to call the St. Louis Metro Police Department or CrimeStoppers at 866-371-TIPS. All tips are anonymous and a tip leading to an arrest could be worth up to a $5,000 reward.
