Man charged with weekend murder and rape in south St. Louis

ST. LOUIS – A St. Louis man makes his first appearance in court Wednesday for a brutal murder and rape in south city this past weekend.

According to the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department’s probable cause statement, the crimes occurred before 1:30 a.m. Sunday in the 4400 block of Minnesota Avenue, located in the Mt. Pleasant neighborhood.

Police found the victim, Robyn Jones, shot to death inside her home. Jones was 44.

Homicide detectives learned Jones had invited Freddie L. Sawyer, 32, to her home earlier in the evening. Jones and Sawyer were in the kitchen. The victim’s 16-year-old daughter was in another room, while two five-year-old children were upstairs with a person later identified as the second victim.

Police said Sawyer shot Jones in the back of her head, killing her instantly.

Sawyer then went upstairs to the second victim’s bedroom and struck her in the face several times. Police said Sawyer demanded the victim undress and then raped her. He threatened to kill her before leaving the home.

Police allege Sawyer came back to the house, kicked in the door, and destroyed the second victim’s cell phone.

Data from Sawyer’s cell phone puts him at the home at the time of the crimes, police said.

The St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office charged Sawyer with first-degree murder, first-degree rape, first-degree sodomy, unlawful possession of a firearm, first-degree property damage, and three counts of armed criminal action.

Sawyer, a convicted felon, was on probation from arrest this past April for delivery of a controlled substance, unlawful use of a weapon, and resisting arrest.