Missouri teen charged with murder after body of man shot 15 times found hidden in air mattress

An 18-year-old Missouri man is accused of shooting another man 15 times and hiding the body in an air mattress that was rolled up and wrapped with electrical cord, according to court documents.

Jackson Pierce, 18, and a juvenile suspect were taken into custody without incident Monday at a home in the 300 block of Willott Square Drive in St. Peters, Missouri, where the body of 23-year-old Dalton Coleman was found, the St. Peters Police Department said.

Police responded to the home after a lawyer for a witness contacted authorities about a potential homicide. 

Coleman’s body was found inside a bedroom closet wrapped in a rolled-up air mattress with a white plastic garbage bag secured around his head with an electrical cord that was cut from a nearby lamp, according to a probable cause statement.

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An initial investigation determined that Pierce and Coleman were acquaintances and the homicide happened after an altercation inside the house, according to police.

The witness told police that he had received a phone call from Pierce saying that Coleman was at the residence asking for "unknown belongings" and showing "erratic behavior," according to a probable cause statement. The witness said he tried to defuse the situation, speaking to both Pierce and Coleman and asking Pierce to move items of value, including a firearm, into his room.

The witness said Pierce called him again minutes later, stating that he had shot and killed Coleman.

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Pierce claimed that Coleman forced his way into a bedroom where Pierce and the juvenile went to distance themselves from him, according to the witness. Pierce said Coleman tried to punch him and then a struggle ensued over the firearm. 

The witness told police that Pierce said he shot Coleman 14 times. An autopsy would later show that the victim suffered approximately 15 gunshot wounds.

When the witness suggested Pierce call police, the witness said he refused. 

After being taken into custody, the affidavit states that police heard Pierce say: "Dog, I shoulda f------ called the cops myself, I shoulda called the cops myself, bro ... I am, I am dumb as f---."

Pierce was charged with second-degree murder, armed criminal action and tampering with physical evidence. He will be transferred to St. Charles County Jail, where he will be held on a $1 million cash-only bond.

The juvenile suspect was transferred to St. Charles County Family Court for undisclosed charges and will remain in the court’s custody.