1987 St. Louis National Supermarkets shooting

1987 mass shooting in St. Louis, Missouri December 2025 December 2025 1987 St Louis National Supermarket shooting St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. September 4, 1987 Mass shooting, mass murder, armed robbery * .38-caliber revolver Shotgun 5 2 Jennings: First-degree murder Blankenship: Second-degree murder Jennings: Life imprisonment without paroleBlankenship: Life imprisonment with parole On September 4, 1987, at a local National Supermarkets store in St. Louis, Missouri, two gunmen, Donnie Blankenship (born January 29, 1962) and Marvin Jennings (born December 3, 1960), entered the supermarket to commit robbery after the store closed. Both Blankenship and Jennings held seven supermarket employees at gunpoint before shooting all of them, resulting in the deaths of five employees and the remaining two injured. Subsequently, both Jennings and Blankenship were arrested and charged with multiple counts of first-degree murder. Out of the two, Jennings was found guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced to life without parole after the jury spared him the death penalty (which the prosecution sought). Blankenship was also sentenced to life in prison for second-degree murder. https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/from-our-archives-five-killed-wounded-at-national-supermarket/article_ce306bdb-3c75-5526-9081-43a6f6f8a356.html 31 years ago: A deadly night at the National Supermarket in St. Louis St. Louis Post-Dispatch September 4, 2018 Man, who killed 5, given life sentence Herald-Journal September 16, 1988 Murders On September 4, 1987, a mass shooting broke out inside a local National Supermarkets store in St. Louis, Missouri, resulting in the deaths of five employees and another two injured.September 6, 1987 5 Killed by Supermarket Robbers in St. Louis https://www.nytimes.com/1987/09/06/us/5-killed-by-supermarket-robbers-in-st-louis.html The New York Times On that day, shortly after the supermarket was closed, seven employees were present at the supermarket when the shooting occurred. Two gunmen, 25-year-old Donnie Blankenship and 27-year-old Marvin Jennings, entered the store under the disguise of cleaners and held all the seven employees at gunpoint. One of the gunmen entered the office of 30-year-old store manager Harold Meyer, pointed a revolver at Meyer and ordered Meyer to open the safe. Meyer attempted to do so but was unsuccessful, causing the gunman to strike him in the head, which split open his head.State v. Blankenship https://law.justia.com/cases/missouri/supreme-court/1992/74239-0.html https://web.archive.org/web/20240903100631/https://law.justia.com/cases/missouri/supreme-court/1992/74239-0.html 2024-09-03 2025-12-14 Justia Law en 34-year-old stock manager Michael Beam was similarly beaten after he failed another attempt to open the safe, and after 49-year-old head night checker Rose Brown successfully opened the safe on a third try, about $4,000 or $5,000 in cash (which were bound in stacks) were packed in a plastic bag and handed over to the gunmen.State v. Blankenship [1992], Missouri Supreme Court (United States). Afterwards, the two gunmen rounded up the seven employees, and also took away the gun of 27-year-old security guard David Spahn. The seven employees were made to lie down on their stomachs, and the gunmen shot all seven of them in the head several times, before they left the store. Meyer was one of the only two employees to survive the shooting; the other survivor was 32-year-old service manager Richard Fortson. The remaining five employees – Beam, Brown, Spahn, 27-year-old service manager Kenneth Bass and 16-year-old bag boy Michael Marr – died at the scene. Despite his two gunshot wounds, Meyer was able to reach a telephone after playing dead for 2-3 minutes and filed a police report. The police arrived to find the bodies thereafter, and Police Captain Jack Titone labelled it as "the most brutal killing" he came across as a police officer.September 6, 1987 Police Seek 'Brutal' Killers https://www.newspapers.com/article/st-louis-post-dispatch-national-super-m/19116335/ St. Louis Post-Dispatch newspapers.com The shootings brought shock to the community when it was first revealed, and hundreds showed up in a huge crowd to have a look at the crime scene.September 6, 1987 Slayings Draw Crowd To Store https://www.newspapers.com/article/st-louis-post-dispatch-site-of-the-nati/19116268/ St. Louis Post-Dispatch newspapers.com Most of the residents knew the victims, and they were described to be good people.September 6, 1987 Scene https://www.newspapers.com/article/st-louis-post-dispatch/106717023/ St. Louis Post-Dispatch newspapers.com The funerals of the five victims were held throughout the week after the shootings. The store was also closed on September 11, 1987, to allow employees to attend the funerals of Marr and Bass, whose funerals were the last two to be held. Over 1,000 people turned up at the funeral wake of Marr.September 11, 1987 Supermarket closed for workers' funerals https://www.newspapers.com/article/st-louis-post-dispatch/106717690/ St. Louis Post-Dispatch newspapers.com September 12, 1987 1,000 Pay Tribute To Youngest Victim https://www.newspapers.com/article/st-louis-post-dispatch/106717893/ St. Louis Post-Dispatch newspapers.com Arrests and investigations After the police investigations began, both Marvin Jennings and Donnie Blankenship were not immediately arrested for the murders. Instead, the police first arrested four men. Two of the suspects were brothers: 19-year-old Ricky Williams and 23-year-old Reginald Williams, and the other two were 27-year-old Anthony Benn and 36-year-old Charles Wright, the latter who was out on parole after a 15-year sentence for a 1981 robbery conviction at the time of the shooting.September 8, 1987 Shootings https://www.newspapers.com/article/st-louis-post-dispatch-shootings-cont/109286706/ St. Louis Post-Dispatch newspapers.com Ricky was charged with five counts of second-degree murder while the rest were each charged with five counts of first-degree murder, seven of armed criminal action, two of first-degree assault, two of first-degree robbery and one of first-degree burglary.September 8, 1987 Four men accused of killing five supermarket employees during... https://www.upi.com/Archives/1987/09/08/Four-men-accused-of-killing-five-supermarket-employees-during/2640558072000/ UPI September 9, 1987 Suspects arraigned in supermarket slayings https://www.upi.com/Archives/1987/09/09/Suspects-arraigned-in-supermarket-slayings/9948558158400/ UPI About a week after their arrests, the Williams brothers were released after the police found lack of evidence against them and multiple testimonies from witnesses who supported an alibi of the brothers.September 12, 1987 Police Release 2 Men Held In Market Slayings https://www.newspapers.com/article/st-louis-post-dispatch/106717775/ St. Louis Post-Dispatch newspapers.com Subsequently, Wright and Benn were also released. It was alleged by some of the four men that they were being abused during police investigations and forced to confess under duress.September 8, 1988 2 Ex-Suspects In Store Killings Tell Of Beatings https://www.newspapers.com/article/st-louis-post-dispatch-2-ex-suspects-in/29046270/ St. Louis Post-Dispatch newspapers.com The case remained unsolved for several months until November 1987, when a gun confiscated from two men during a routine traffic stop was found to belong to David Spahn, the security guard murdered in the shooting. One of the passengers was coincidentally Blankenship's uncle, Jimmy Kennedy. Kennedy initially claimed he had purchased the gun off the street, but later admitted that Blankenship had given it to him. Crucially, Spahn's revolver was identified as the same murder weapon used in the killings.November 9, 1987 Police find slain supermarket guard's gun https://www.upi.com/Archives/1987/11/09/Police-find-slain-supermarket-guards-gun/1644563432400/ UPI September 3, 1988 Friend Says Suspect Had Gun From Supermarket Killings https://www.newspapers.com/article/st-louis-post-dispatch-friend-says-susp/29045327/ St. Louis Post-Dispatch newspapers.com Additionally, Blankenship's brother testified that he saw Blankenship bringing back a gun and $1,200 in one-dollar bills, which Blankenship claimed to have robbed from a "dope house", when they were in fact the loot taken from the shooting. Further investigation revealed evidence that Blankenship paid for car repairs with a large amount of one-dollar bills, some of which were wrapped in stacks, similar to the money taken during the robbery.September 4, 1988 Witness Links Suspect In 5 Killings To Cash https://www.newspapers.com/article/st-louis-post-dispatch-witness-links-su/29049044/ St. Louis Post-Dispatch newspapers.com September 4, 1988 Witness https://www.newspapers.com/article/st-louis-post-dispatch-leroy-blankenshi/29048232/ St. Louis Post-Dispatch newspapers.com This breakthrough resulted in the arrests of both Jennings and Blankenship during the same month of Kennedy's arrest,November 12, 1987 Arrest Raises Hopes In National Killings https://www.newspapers.com/article/st-louis-post-dispatch/26653533/ St. Louis Post-Dispatch newspapers.com and both men were charged with multiple counts of first-degree murder and robbery, assault and armed criminal action. Blankenship was released in early March 1988 on a $10,000 bond. The pair were formally indicted on March 25, 1988, for the mass shooting, and the police sought to arrest Blankenship, who remained free at this point.March 27, 1988 Police Hunting 2nd Suspect In Market Killings https://www.newspapers.com/article/st-louis-post-dispatch-police-hunting-2/29044899/ St. Louis Post-Dispatch newspapers.com March 27, 1988 Killings https://www.newspapers.com/article/st-louis-post-dispatch-national-super-m/29044693/ St. Louis Post-Dispatch newspapers.com Trial proceedings Marvin Jennings Marvin Jennings was the first robber out of the pair to stand trial for the supermarket massacre, and his trial began on August 29, 1988. On September 9, 1988, a St. Louis County jury found Jennings guilty of all five counts of first-degree murder and another 11 charges, pertaining to robbery, assault and armed criminal action. The prosecution sought the maximum sentence of death for all the first-degree murder charges against Jennings, citing that he was a "cold-blooded, murderous animal" who committed a heinous crime. Apart from the death penalty, the offence of first-degree murder also carried the minimum sentence of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.September 10, 1988 Guilty verdict returned in supermarket slayings trial https://www.upi.com/Archives/1988/09/10/Guilty-verdict-returned-in-supermarket-slayings-trial/9423589867200/ UPI September 11, 1988 Jury to decide Jennings' sentence Tuesday https://www.upi.com/Archives/1988/09/11/Jury-to-decide-Jennings-sentence-Tuesday/5913589953600/ UPI On September 14, 1988, the jury recommended that Jennings should be sentenced to life without parole, thus sparing Jennings the death sentence. Reportedly, Jennings's family were not satisfied with the verdict because they believed he did not commit the murders.September 15, 1988 Life Term Recommended In Market Killings https://www.newspapers.com/article/st-louis-post-dispatch-life-term-recomm/29050288/ St. Louis Post-Dispatch newspapers.com In accordance to the jury's recommendation, Judge Thomas C. Mummert sentenced Jennings to five consecutive life terms without parole for all five counts of first-degree murder, in addition to sentences of 15 years for assault and life for robbery and criminal action, all of which would also run consecutively. Donnie Blankenship Donnie Blankenship was the second of the duo to be put on trial for his role behind the shooting on April 10, 1989.April 11, 1989 Food Store Killings Trial Begins https://www.newspapers.com/article/st-louis-post-dispatch/21439223/ St. Louis Post-Dispatch newspapers.com Similarly, the prosecution sought to have Blankenship convicted of first-degree murder and also requested the death penalty for Blankenship like they did at Jennings's trial.April 23, 1989 City Jury Deliberating In Case Of National Market Killings https://www.newspapers.com/article/st-louis-post-dispatch/126612829/ St. Louis Post-Dispatch newspapers.com On April 23, 1989, the jury found Blankenship guilty of five counts of second-degree murder, one count of robbery, one count of receiving stolen property and one count of receiving a stolen weapon. He was also acquitted of eight counts of armed criminal action and two counts of assault. The verdict allowed Blankenship to avoid the death penalty like Jennings, as the charge of second-degree murder did not carry the death penalty in contrast to first-degree murder. The highest penalty available for second-degree murder was life imprisonment.April 24, 1989 Man convicted of lesser charge in supermarket slayings https://www.upi.com/Archives/1989/04/24/Man-convicted-of-lesser-charge-in-supermarket-slayings/2353609393600/ UPI On June 9, 1989, St. Louis Circuit Court Judge Thomas F. McGuire sentenced Blankenship to five consecutive life sentences, in addition to 55 years. Although Blankenship's case could still be periodically reviewed by the state parole board, his sentence effectively meant that he could only be eligible for parole after completing more than 100 years of his sentence.June 10, 1989 5 Life Sentences In Market Killings https://www.newspapers.com/article/st-louis-post-dispatch/29049999/ St. Louis Post-Dispatch newspapers.com Appeals and imprisonment On July 30, 1991, Marvin Jennings's appeal against his conviction and sentence was rejected by the Missouri Court of Appeals.State v. Jennings [1991], Missouri Court of Appeals (United States). On April 21, 1992, the Missouri Supreme Court dismissed Donnie Blankenship's appeal. On July 18, 2019, Jennings's petition for a writ of habeas corpus was denied by Washington County Judge Troy Hyde. The judge dismissed Jennings's claims of innocence and added that his allegations of prosecutorial misconduct and unlawful sentencing were "essentially attacks on evidentiary rulings by the trial court that have already been litigated in the ordinary course of review."Missouri man convicted of killing five grocery employees in 1987 will stay in prison https://www.missourinet.com/2019/07/18/missouri-man-convicted-of-killing-five-grocery-employees-in-1987-will-stay-in-prison/ May 28, 2025 Missourinet July 18, 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20190719040258/https://www.missourinet.com/2019/07/18/missouri-man-convicted-of-killing-five-grocery-employees-in-1987-will-stay-in-prison/ July 19, 2019 live As of 2025, both Marvin Jennings and Donnie Blankenship are incarcerated at the Potosi Correctional Center.Offender Search / Marvin Jennings https://web.mo.gov/doc/offSearchWeb/offenderInfoAction.do Missouri Department Of Corrections May 29, 2025 Offender Search / Donnie Blankenship https://web.mo.gov/doc/offSearchWeb/offenderInfoAction.do Missouri Department Of Corrections May 29, 2025 Aftermath The 1987 St. Louis National Supermarkets shooting was known to be one of the worst, in addition to being the most heinous and deadliest case of mass murder to happen in the history of St. Louis since it first occurred, with its notoriety surpassing even that of the 1980 Pope's Cafeteria shooting, where Maurice Oscar Byrd shot and killed four people while robbing a local cafeteria in nearby St. Louis County.September 6, 1987 Shootings Recall Crime In Cafeteria https://www.newspapers.com/article/st-louis-post-dispatch-shootings-recall/19116456/ St. Louis Post-Dispatch newspapers.com Byrd was sentenced to death and executed at the Potosi Correctional Center on August 23, 1991, for four capital murder charges.December 8, 1982 Convicted murderer Maurice Oscar Byrd has been sentenced to... https://www.upi.com/Archives/1982/12/08/Convicted-murderer-Maurice-Oscar-Byrd-has-been-sentenced-to/2762408171600/ UPI August 23, 1991 Maurice Byrd Executed; Killed 4 In 1980 Holdup https://www.newspapers.com/article/st-louis-post-dispatch-mauriced-byrd-ex/14547813/ St. Louis Post-Dispatch newspapers.com In December 1999, the 1987 St. Louis National Supermarkets shooting was listed as one of Missouri's most heinous crimes by several veteran St. Louis police officers.December 29, 1999 Veteran Area Police Officers recall century's most ruthless serial killers and kidnappers https://www.newspapers.com/article/st-louis-post-dispatch-veteran-area-pol/29571233/ St. Louis Post-Dispatch newspapers.com When the 2021 Boulder shooting occurred in Colorado, when Ahmad Alissa shot and murdered ten people at the King Soopers grocery store, Harold Meyer, who survived the 1987 supermarket shooting, spoke to the media about his traumatic experiences, stating that the Colorado grocery shooting brought back the dark memories of the 1987 shooting, and found comparisons between his ordeal and the 2021 case, despite noting that the murders of his late co-workers were done execution-style while the Colorado shooter was an active shooter.January 23, 2022 Boulder killings bring back dark memories for survivor of National Supermarkets massacre, St. Louis’ deadliest shooting https://www.firstalert4.com/2022/01/22/boulder-killings-bring-back-dark-memories-survivor-national-supermarkets-massacre-st-louis-deadliest-shooting/ First Alert 4 Alissa was eventually found guilty and sentenced to ten consecutive sentences of life without parole in September 2024.September 23, 2024 Colorado man sentenced to life for murdering 10 people at King Soopers supermarket in Boulder in 2021 https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/colorado-man-found-guilty-murdering-10-people-king-soopers-supermarket-rcna172314 NBC News September 23, 2024 Colorado supermarket gunman sentenced to life in prison https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cqlvyqvgr01o BBC The supermarket, where the shooting occurred, was eventually demolished alongside some other buildings surrounding it. The site was since replaced by a chop suey restaurant, gas station and liquor store. Meyer stated in a 2019 interview that the demolition did nothing to clear his mind, as the memories and trauma of the shooting still haunted him daily. It was revealed that Meyer was the only survivor remaining alive at this point; the other survivor, Richard Fortson, died a few years after the shooting due to diabetes.https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/metro/article_2dacb69e-4e87-514c-b6f0-0a5a510a46ab.html One man lived through the worst shooting in St. Louis history. Razing the building won't change that. St. Louis Post-Dispatch September 28, 2019 See also Capital punishment in Missouri 1980 Pope's Cafeteria shooting List of mass shootings in the United States References Category:1980s in St. Louis Category:1987 in Missouri Category:1987 mass shootings in the United States Category:1987 murders in the United States Category:Murder in Missouri Category:People murdered in Missouri Category:Deaths by person in Missouri Category:Deaths by firearm in Missouri Category:Gun violence in the United States Category:September 1987 crimes in the United States