EAST ST. LOUIS — A 26-year-old East St. Louis man has been charged with first-degree murder and armed robbery following a multi-year investigation into a deadly 2021 robbery, Illinois State Police announced Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025.
Montel Harkins faces a Class M felony charge for first-degree murder and a Class X felony charge for armed robbery related to the June 5, 2021, shooting death of 27-year-old Kaleb Davis of Cape Girardeau, Missouri.
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The incident occurred near 14th Street and Division Avenue in East St. Louis.
Illinois State Police Special Agents were called in by the East St. Louis Police Department to assist with the homicide investigation after officers found Davis deceased from gunshot wounds at the scene.
The joint investigation by ISP’s Division of Criminal Investigation Zone 6 Major Crimes Unit and ESLPD determined that Harkins allegedly attempted to rob Davis at gunpoint when shots were fired, resulting in Davis’s fatal injuries.
On September 29, 2025, ISP presented the case to the St. Clair County State’s Attorney’s Office, which filed the charges against Harkins.
He is currently in custody in Oklahoma on an unrelated matter, and an arrest warrant has been issued for him in connection with this case. No further details have been released.
