POLICE: ST. LOUIS MAN MURDERED WIFE, KIDS THEN ABDUCTED AN INFANT BEFORE KILLING SELF

A St. Louis County man shot and killed his wife and kids, then abducted a toddler before turning a gun on himself, authorities say. 

Bobby McCulley III shot and killed his wife, Roseann, 34, her son Kayden Johnson, 13, and her daughter Kaylee Brooks, 6, around midnight March 5, according to St. Louis County police. 

Officials said McCulley also fled the scene with a 1-year-old girl, who was later returned to family members.

Police first responded to a call at a home for a suspicious person around 8:30 p.m., said Lt. Col Steve Sack with St. Louis County police. They couldn’t find the suspect, he said, and left. Three hours later, officers were again called to the house for a shots fired call. 

Officers found a broken window and found the three victims inside, Sack said. 

They quickly identified McCulley III as a suspect and tried to find him. State officials issued an Amber Alert to help locate him and the infant. 

“The homicide detectives worked through the night,” Sack said. 

Warrants were issued for three counts of first-degree murder, three counts of first-degree kidnapping, seven counts of armed criminal action and one count of burglary,  St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell during a press conference that was streamed online. 

McCulley was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound as police went to arrest him, Bell said. 

The prosecuting attorney said there were few warning signs of domestic violence between McCulley and the victims. 

“On this one, not much at all. There was a complaint filed in 2017,” Bell said. He added the victim did not cooperate, which led to prosecutors dropping the charges. 

McCulley and his wife separated last month, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.  

Bell said too often domestic violence is viewed in the community as a problem for the victims. He said it’s up to everyone to provide resources and if someone sees a family member with anger issues, they should try to get them help. 

He expressed condolences to the friends and family of the victims.

Police also charged McCulley’s mother, Michelle Clayton, 55, with hindering prosecution of a felony. Clayton "misled and lied to police to prevent the apprehension" of McCulley, according to police reports.