Belleville murder victim had a ‘village’ looking out for him. It wasn’t enough
Montavion Conrad’s family is still trying to figure out how a smart, funny, loyal and passionate 20-year-old could be gunned down in broad daylight at Belleville Crossing shopping center, outside the restaurant where he worked.
That’s according to his uncle, Pierre Cochran, 35, of Collinsville, a real estate agent and former police officer and corrections officer. He’s serving as the family’s spokesman for now.
“All I know is what I’ve heard from police, that the suspect (and Conrad) had a negative interaction years ago, and somehow they ended up in the same place at the same time, and things escalated,” Cochran said.
Belleville police reported earlier this week that Conrad was shot and killed Sunday afternoon in the parking lot of a strip mall where his employer, Qdoba Mexican Eats, is located, and that the victim knew the gunman, who was with a female juvenile.
The suspect apparently was picking up an order at the Wingstop restaurant next door to Qdoba.
“The people at Qdoba saw everything,” Cochran said. “(Conrad) was unarmed. He just wanted to have a good old-fashioned fistfight, and you can’t have those nowadays. People will kill you.”
Police reported that officers got a description of the male suspect’s vehicle at the scene and pursued it until it crashed, then conducted a manhunt in a wooded area before making an arrest.
On Monday, the St. Clair County state’s attorney’s office charged William A.L. Molton, 18, of Collinsville, with first-degree murder and unlawful possession of a firearm by a person under 21.
“I don’t know anything about that kid,” Cochran said. “I don’t know about any longstanding beef or arguments. I don’t know if there was a girl involved or not. All I know about are the rumors, and (Conrad is) not around to say his side of things.”
According to Cochran, Conrad was the son of Megan Taylor of Belleville and Monte Conrad, although his father wasn’t around much because he was incarcerated. For that reason, Cochran took his nephew under his wing.
Cochran said when his sister (Taylor), who works in corrections in St. Louis, got worried about Conrad’s activities as a student at Belleville West High School, he moved in with Cochran and spent his senior year at Collinsville High School, graduating in 2024.
“My nephew did not carry a gun,” Cochran said. “I know that for a fact. I’ve gone through his bags.”
Kim Collins, spokeswoman for Collinsville Unit School District 10, confirmed that Conrad was a Collinsville High School graduate. She said Molton is not currently attending classes at a Collinsville school, and she can’t say whether he has ever been a student due to privacy laws.
Cochran said Conrad liked basketball, fashion, gaming and girls and expressed an interest in being an entrepreneur, perhaps following in his uncle’s footsteps in the real estate industry.
Before Conrad got his job at Qdoba, he worked at Walmart in Collinsville and White Castle in Belleville. He was close to his grandmother, aunts, uncles and other family members, according to Cochran.
“I’m telling you, he had a whole village,” Cochran said. “This kid was loved. This kid was spoiled – birthday parties, Christmases, trips out of town. I mean, he was troubled. His dad was in prison for a long time. That’s why it was so important for us all to step up.”
Cochran said he had conversations with his nephew about making good decisions, and he shared his experiences in law enforcement to help him choose the right path, but he now feels like those efforts failed.
“You think that you’re doing everything you can to prepare a young person,” Cochran said, fighting back tears.
“Life is unpredictable,” he added.
Earlier this week, the director of operations for the Qdoba restaurant at Belleville Crossing declined to comment on the murder. Adnan Bajramaliu, vice president of operations for the franchisee, North Fork Fresh Mex, emailed the following statement:
“We are heartbroken by the loss of our team member, Montavion Conrad, in this tragic incident. Our thoughts are with his loved ones, and we are cooperating with local authorities as they continue their investigation.”
This story was originally published March 20, 2026 at 5:30 AM with the headline "Belleville murder victim had a ‘village’ looking out for him. It wasn’t enough."
