MADISON • Officials said Tuesday that two men have been charged with murder and armed criminal action in the death of a man whose burned body was found dumped near a trash bin here last week.
Ernest Lamont Smith, 38, of the 10300 block of Baron Drive in the Castle Point area of St. Louis County, and Marquan Prete, 17, of the 2900 block of Delmar Boulevard in St. Louis, were charged in St. Louis County Circuit Court. Bail was set at $750,000 for each.
The victim, Christopher Andrew Scott, 30, of the 7700 block of Nacomis Drive in Normandy, was found about 1:44 p.m. Friday near Kohl and Race streets. The Major Case Squad was called in to investigate.
According to court documents, Smith suspected Scott of breaking into his house a couple of days earlier. An argument started, and Smith got a gun and pistol-whipped Scott, the documents say. Scott tried to get away but Prete tackled him and held him down and Smith then shot him twice, police said.
Officials said Scott was killed at an address in the 10100 block of Baron Drive in St. Louis County and the body was moved to Illinois.
Granite City Capt. Ken Rozell, in his role as a deputy commander with the Major Case Squad, said about 25 officers worked on the case. "Once we identified the body, it was a matter of chasing down leads," Rozell said. "The family helped quite a bit."
Madison County prosecutors plan to review the case for possible charges in Illinois.





