Family of slain mother and daughter beg community for help

By JENNA RAE, NEWS 4 REPORTER

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    ST. LOUIS, MO (KMOV) — The tragic death of a mother and daughter in North City has St. Louis police searching every corner of the city for the person responsible.

Around 3 p.m. Wednesday, police were called to the 4200 block of Pleasant Street, near North Florissant and Grand, after a woman called 911 saying her daughter and granddaughter were shot and killed inside a home.

News 4 has confirmed 27-year-old Terri Bankhead and her 8-year-old daughter, Da’Nilya, were found tied to a bed and shot multiple times. Family said they’re in complete shock and this is a targeted incident.

“Growing up with Shug it was never a dull moment, like you’re gonna laugh the entire time. She should’ve been a stand up comedian,” Sha’Greggria Brown said.

Brown is Bankhead’s first cousin, but they were more like sisters. She told News 4 Bankhead went by the nickname ‘Shug’.

“We all from St. Louis, and yes we did all grow up together pretty much every day,” Brown explained.

Brown described Bankhead as a dedicated single mother and friend. She said Da’Nilya would’ve turned 9 in a few weeks.

“If didn’t nobody have no money and Shug did, we all had some. That’s the type of person she is. She is so giving. She’s fun to be around. She’s down for her friends, she was very loyal. When I got the news I was like ‘why, like I don’t understand, come on Shug,'” Brown said.

Family told News 4 the murders seem targeted, besides both mother and daughter being shot, they were also tied to Bankhead’s bed.

St. Louis police are working the case with very few leads. News 4 asked police about crime in this specific area off of North Florissant and Grand.

“This block in particular hasn’t been on the radar if you will, but right now we’re trying to work with neighbors or anybody else who can provide information to us,” St. Louis Police Chief John Hayden said.

With little-to-no real-time cameras in the area, police and family are begging the community for help. While Chief Hayden and his department continue to deal with the ongoing seriousness of crimes across North City, with Da’Nilya’s murder, the city has now seen 11 children killed this year.

“This is very tragic and I think the weight of incidents like these really bring everyone down in the community. It’s really a sad situation,” Hayden said.

The family is also just asking for answers.

“It’s an 8-year-old that was just murdered and tied up in your community. We need to stand up and take control of our community. Do something better, everyone just do something. Something needs to be done,” Brown said. “Everyone feels like they need to move out of town for a better life and this is where we grew up at.”

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