ST. PETERS, MO – Jackson Pierce, a Missouri teen, stands accused of a brutal shooting where an altercation escalated into the killing of a 23-year-old man. After allegedly shooting Dalton Coleman upwards of 14 times, Pierce concealed the body in an air mattress. According to a probable cause affidavit, Pierce has been charged with Coleman’s murder.
Court documents revealed that Pierce, Coleman, an unidentified juvenile, and an unnamed witness spent some time together on the day of the event. After the witness left, Pierce contacted him about Coleman demanding certain belongings and displaying erratic behavior. Attempting to defuse the tense atmosphere over the phone, the witness advised Pierce to move valuable items, including a firearm, from the kitchen to a bedroom.
A few minutes later, Pierce called the witness again, confessing to shooting Coleman multiple times. He claimed that an argument over the entered bedroom led to a confrontation and resulted in the fatal shooting. When advised to contact the police, Pierce refused, prompting the witness to report the incident to the St. Peters Police.
Following the witness’ report, a SWAT team arrived to arrest Pierce and the juvenile at the scene. A drone-assisted search located Coleman’s body, concealed within a rolled-up air mattress stashed in an upstairs closet.
The apprehended Pierce admitted during a police interview about attempting to clean the shooting scene with the juvenile. An initial autopsy confirmed around 15 gunshot wounds caused Coleman’s death.
Pierce now faces charges of second-degree murder, armed criminal action, and evidence tampering. His bond has been set at $1 million cash-only, with hearings scheduled for January 17. The unnamed juvenile remains in custody.