Arrest made in 2008 cold case killing of Florissant Valley officer

Aug 23, 2025 - 20:00

ST. LOUIS - After 17 years, authorities have made an arrest in a long-unsolved 2008 shooting death of a campus police officer for St. Louis Community College at Florissant Valley.

On June 20, 2008, Demond Taylor was fatally shot inside a car in the City of St. Louis, near Page and Academy avenues, while he was off-duty.

According to court documents filed Saturday, the St. Louis Circuit Attorney's Office has charged Brandon M. Levy, 46, with one count of first-degree murder in connection with the case.

"These charges are based largely on testimony from eyewitnesses at the scene," said St. Louis Circuit Attorney Gabe Gore during a Saturday news conference.

Court documents state that St. Louis officers spoke with three witnesses from July 2018 to July 2025, each alleging the defendant mistakenly shot the victim, with one witness alleging that defendant believed the victim to be a rival gang member.

**Photo provided by:** St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department.

"Our detectives learned that Mr. Taylor was mistakenly believed to be in a rival gang," said St. Louis Police Chief Robert Tracy. "This type of senseless murder has zero place in our city, and I pray Mr. Taylor's family can sleep a little easier tonight knowing justice has been served."

Levy was 29 years old at the time of Taylor's murder. Tracy noted that Taylor would have turned 52 on Sunday.

St. Louis Community College shared the following statement on the arrest:

"St. Louis Community College expresses its gratitude to the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and all law enforcement agencies involved in the investigation that led to the arrest of a suspect in the tragic killing of Officer Demond Taylor.

Officer Taylor, a respected member of the STLCC Police Department assigned to Florissant Valley Campus, was fatally shot in 2008. There was no indication that his shooting was related to his employment. We hope solving this case brings comfort to Officer Taylor's colleagues and family."

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