Missouri teen accused of shooting man 14 times and hiding his body in air mattress

ST. PETERS, Mo. (TCD) -- An 18-year-old and a juvenile were arrested this week in connection with the fatal shooting of a 23-year-old man whose body was found in an air mattress.

On the evening of Monday, Jan. 8, officers responded to the 300 block of Willott Square Drive after receiving information regarding a suspected homicide. They located the deceased victim, Dalton Coleman, and later arrested Jackson Pierce on a charge of second-degree murder, armed criminal action, and tampering with physical evidence. Police said the minor was transported to a juvenile facility on unspecified charges.

According to Pierce’s probable cause affidavit, hours before the arrest, an attorney for a witness contacted the St. Peters Police Department to alert them about Coleman’s shooting death. The witness told investigators he lives with Pierce, and on the day of the incident, Coleman and the juvenile were at their house. The witness left the residence to help a friend at work, but while he was out, Pierce allegedly called him several times "complaining about [Coleman] asking for unknown belongings and other erratic behavior."

The witness reportedly told police he "attempted to calm the situation over the phone" and spoke with both Pierce and Coleman. He told Pierce to take some of his personal belongings from around the house — including a gun — and leave them in his room.

A few minutes later, Pierce allegedly called him and said he shot Coleman after Coleman "forced his way into the bedroom where Pierce and the juvenile had distanced themselves" from him. Coleman allegedly threw a punch at Pierce but missed. The two men got into a physical altercation over the gun, which had not yet been secured.

Pierce reportedly shot Coleman three to four times during the fight, but Coleman "did not go down, so Pierce continued to shoot the victim."

The affidavit says the witness urged Pierce to call police, but he refused. The witness said he would contact his attorney to figure out what to do.

St. Peters Police officers conducted surveillance of the home, and a SWAT unit eventually arrived at the scene. Pierce and the juvenile walked outside and were taken into custody. A sergeant asked Pierce if Coleman was deceased inside, and he allegedly confirmed it.

After obtaining a search warrant, the St. Charles County SWAT unit flew a drone inside the residence and found a "rolled-up air mattress that had been tied tightly and wrapped with a piece of an electrical cord." According to the affidavit, Coleman’s body had been rolled inside the mattress with a white garbage bag covering his head and an electrical cord that had been cut from a lamp.

Pierce reportedly told detectives he and Coleman got into a fight and Coleman looked as if he wanted to take the gun. Pierce said he shot Coleman in the abdomen, then continued to fire at him because he "did not go down."

He shot 14 more rounds at the victim and said Coleman "did not fall to the ground until the last shot was fired."

After Coleman died, Pierce and the juvenile suspect allegedly attempted to clean the area with dish soap. Investigators located shell casings in different trash cans.

The affidavit said Coleman sustained 15 gunshot wounds to the abdomen, hand, and face.

Pierce is being held at the St. Charles County Jail with bond set at $1 million cash.

MORE:

• Homicide Investigation in St. Peters - St. Peters Police Department
• Probable Cause Statement - St. Charles County Prosecuting Attorney's Office