ST. LOUIS – A son shot and killed in front of his mother. Now she’s asking for help to put the killer behind bars.
Cathy Cole was with her grandkids and son, Corey, headed to lunch on July 9, 2018. They had to drop off Corey’s girlfriend, who lived in the 3200 block of Bailey Avenue in the Fairground Park neighborhood.
The family drove there and parked in front of her apartment.
“There was a car parked next to us,” Cathy said. “A red Kia parked next to us.”
Cathy said her son was walking back to the car when things went south.
“As soon as he got to the front of the car, that’s when the guy on the passenger side, that’s when he pulled out the AK and shot him four times,” she said. “He tried to run and he collapsed.”
Lt. Scott Aubuchon, head of the homicide division for the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, reported a similar account of what happened.
Corey Cole was rushed to SLU where he died. He was 41.
Cathy said her grandkids who were in the care had to witness the whole thing.
“They have nightmares and they are still scared,” she said. “My grandson goes through a lot.”
Lt. Aubuchon said police have received some good leads on this case but there is one person they would really like to get ahold of.
“There is a person we would like to speak with who is probably a very good witness and that man is Howard Brauner,” he said.
Aubuchon said they’ve tried contacting Brauner but have been unable to locate him.
And as for the red Kia? Detectives are looking for that, too.
“We believe this was a local incident. We believe the vehicle is in that area,” Aubuchon said.
Cathy said Corey left behind a daughter whom he didn’t get to see graduate from high school this year. She said she’s still haunted from watching her son get murdered.
