Officers with the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department (SLMPD) responded just after 10 a.m. on Feb. 10 to the 2300 block of South Grand Boulevard for a reported shooting. The police found a woman inside a vehicle in the drive-thru lane suffering from a gunshot wound. She was unresponsive and later died at a hospital, according to a department news release on Feb. 12.
Police identified the victim as Gabrielle “Sam” Linehan, 28, of St. Louis. Authorities said the suspect approached her vehicle, pointed a gun at her, and demanded she put her hands up before shooting her. He allegedly stole her bank cards and driver’s license before fleeing.
Keith Brown, 58, of St. Louis, was arrested on Feb. 11 and charged with one count of first-degree murder, three counts of first-degree robbery, four counts of armed criminal action, and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm, police said.
During a press conference on Feb. 11, SLMPD Director of Public Affairs and Information Mitch McCoy said that Brown is also accused of robbing a woman and her daughter on Feb. 6 at a Jack in the Box drive-thru on South Grand Boulevard, where he allegedly pulled a gun and demanded property.
In a televised interview with St. Louis 5 On Your Side, the Feb. 6 victim recounted, "I was picking my baby up from school and we went to go grab something to eat. Wasn't nobody in the line. It was just me. I ordered and I went around to the window and I paid. He handed me our drinks. I'm turning over looking at my child so she can grab her drink.”
At that moment, she said, she felt a gun press against the back of her head.
Two days later, Brown allegedly robbed a Dollar General store on North Grand Avenue, pointing a gun at a cashier and demanding money. Police said shots were fired in all three incidents.
Surveillance video captured the suspect in each case wearing a high-visibility vest and helmet. During a search of Brown’s home, officers recovered the vest and helmet as well as items that were reported stolen in the robberies, police said.
According to SLMPD, Brown had prior convictions of first-degree burglary and first-degree robbery.
Police said he had “absconded while being on parole,” a term describing someone who evades supervision by moving without permission or failing to check in as required.
“Coach Sam Linehan was a cherished skater, coach, mentor, and friend whose impact reached far beyond the ice,” the skating club wrote. “A dedicated leader, Coach Sam devoted time and heart to supporting and developing skaters while instilling the values of discipline, teamwork, integrity, and resilience.”