ST. LOUIS – A Florissant man was sentenced to two years of probation after he pleaded guilty to defacing a Black history mural at Washington University in St. Louis.
A judge sentenced Mitchell Wagner, 26, to probation on Oct. 11 after he pleaded guilty second-degree property damage, according to Missouri court records.
The charge dates back to December 2021 when the university’s “Never-Ending Story” mural was first discovered vandalized. The mural, located in the South 40 underpass, depicts many famous African Americans. Several faces on the mural were painted over and stamped with the logo of a white supremacist group. The estimated damage was valued around $10,000.
Investigators previously told FOX 2 that surveillance video revealed three other people defacing the mural along with Wagner. A license plate on a vehicle in the video matched to one owned by Wagner.
To date, only Wagner has faced a criminal charge over the damage. Wagner was initially charged with first-degree property damage, a felony, though the charge was later amended to second-degree property damage, a misdemeanor.
According to Missouri court records, Wagner paid $8,500 in restitution on Oct. 4. He was also ordered to have no contact with Washington University as part of his probation sentence.
