Crime & Safety
Brentwood High Grad, Suspected Clayton Bank Robber Commits Suicide
On July 30, Joseph Medearis was found dead in a hotel room in St. Louis City from an apparent suicide, according to police.
A man suspected of robbing a Clayton bank in July was found dead in a St. Louis hotel room, the Clayton Police Department said Monday.
The man was identified as 1995 Brentwood High School graduate Joseph Medearis
Robbery Details
The Fifth Third Bank was robbed on Monday, July 29. Click here to read coverage: Clayton Police Searching for Man Who Robbed Bank in Clayton
Police said the man entered the bank and gave the teller a note demanding money. After the teller turned over an undisclosed amount of money, the subject left the bank. He did not display a weapon or indicate that he had one.
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He also did not try to conceal his identity. This enabled witnesses at the scene to identify Joseph Medearis as the suspect.
Prior Crimes
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Medearis was previously convicted in the 2001 robbery of Commerce Bank at Clayton Road and Demun Avenue. He was sentenced to 10 years on that conviction.
In November of 2001. Medearis robbed the Commerce Bank across from St. Mary’s Health Center, and was arrested the next day.
Bill McClellan, St. Louis Post-Dispatch columnist, wrote in depth about Medearis' death Monday, Aug. 5, online. He said he lives down the street from the Commerce Bank robbery and at that time, was so interested in the case he visited Medearis in the county jail where they discussed many things including family issues and Medearis' drug problem. His drug of choice is heroin. It's also the drug he used to take his life.
Troubled Life and Death
On July 30, Medearis was found dead in a hotel room in St. Louis City from an apparent suicide, according to police. The medical examiner has not determined an official cause of death.
McClellan has the most in-depth look at the robbery suspect's death because he took the time to get to know him before heroin completely overtook his life.In McClellan's column he says Medearis' body was found the morning after the bank robbery. A woman with whom he was staying at the Grand Motel, located on North Grand Boulevard, reported his death to the front desk clerk on the July 30; just one day after the robbery
She said he'd shot heroin the night prior. McClellan described it as a "last fling."
Click here to read McClellan's complete column.
Did you know Medearis?
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