Metro-east man faces murder charge. Victim was found shot in his vehicle

A 58-year-old Cahokia Heights man was charged with first-degree murder Friday in connection with the shooting death of a man on Tuesday.

James Lamont Crumble of Cahokia Heights was charged in the death of Lakarlo D. Williams, 48, according to a news release by the Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis.

Crumble also was charged with unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon, the news release stated. He was being held in the St. Clair County Jail Friday and there is a pretrial detention hearing scheduled for him at 1:30 p.m. Monday.

Williams, 48, was pronounced dead at the scene near 5895 Mitchell Lane in Cahokia Heights, police said. He was found shot in his vehicle after Cahokia Heights Police received the report of a shooting in the area at about 10:09 p.m.

Other details about the shooting were not released.

Sixteen investigators with the Major Case Squad worked on the case.

This is the fifth time the Major Case Squad has been activated this year in Cahokia Heights, which is the most of any community in the St. Louis metropolitan area in 2024, according to a Belleville News-Democrat review of the statements the squad released via social media. The Major Case Squad issues news releases only through X, which used to be known as Twitter.

The Major Case Squad also was called for a homicide in September in the 2400 block of Renois Lane near Cahokia Heights in unincorporated St. Clair County.

Overall, there have been 12 people killed in Cahokia Heights this year, according to reports published in the BND.