ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. – A jury returned a guilty verdict Wednesday against a man accused of killing a pizza delivery driver in Black Jack.
According to the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, the murder happened around 9:30 p.m. on Dec. 13, 2022, in the 4600 block of Whisper Lake Drive.
Police and prosecutors said Hershell Perkins was delivering pizza to an apartment on Whisper Lake Drive. When Perkins arrived at the location, Wayea Hallowanger allegedly shot Perkins several times before he could complete his delivery.
Perkins called 911 and told the dispatcher he’d been shot and would not survive. Responding officers found Perkins dead in the parking lot. Perkins was 60.
Investigators determined Hallowanger placed the pizza order to a vacant apartment and later changed the number on the phone he used to make the order.
Hallowanger, 22, was convicted of first-degree murder and armed criminal action. He’ll be sentenced on June 28, though it’s a formality. A first-degree murder conviction carries a mandatory life sentence without parole.
A co-defendant, Marcus Thomas, pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of second-degree murder. He’ll be sentenced on Friday, May 24.
