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- Story Listed as: True Life For Adults
- Theme: Family & Friends
- Subject: Crime
- Published: 05/13/2023
The End of the Story
Born 1954, M, from St Louis Mo, United StatesThey say, truth is better than fiction, perhaps, at least it’s more amazing. This event has been on my mind and I decided to find the details and share my personal memory.
The time was 1964 I was nine and waiting on November for my tenth birthday. My oldest brother would of been 15. We lived on 4323 Fyler just off of Morganford in St Louis, MO.
As I was only home weekends, holidays and summer because of going to the Missouri School for the Blind on 3815 magnolia, I have only brief personal interactions with the main character, Dennis Irby.
He and my oldest brother were very good friends. I guess both our father and his could be very strict. Yet, on more then one occasion I recall Dennis stoping by our house to get my brother and go play baseball. The news story made it sound as if he was a prisoner in his home, perhaps much of the time he was. Yet, I recall him and my brother practice pitching on a Saturday afternoon and others heading to games, played at Tower Grove Park, or at the field behind classic cars on Kings Highway.
I recall him as being friendly and never teasing me about my bad eyes, even trying to teach me to catch, but I couldn’t see the ball till it hit me. He was always polite to my Dad and Mom. In fact they were both friends to the son of who ran the Family in St Louis in those days. But none of us except my brother knew anything about that. They were always pleasant when dropping by.
Now what I recall, was my oldest brother normally walked to school. (This part I did not learn till the weekend, school had started back after summer break) it was on Wednesday September 23,1964, my brother was walking to school when Dennis pulled up and asked him if he wanted a ride to school.
Later Chris (my brother) said, he had asked how he had his Dads car and was told he had just took it. Then tried to talk my brother in to going on a trip with him. He said, he was picking up his girl friend and head out. If he told Chris to where that trip would be headed or any of what had happened, Chris never spoke of it. Yet, many things he never spoke of, in our later lives he told me things, some I wish I had not heard, on this though, if he knew more then I said he took it with him to his grave.
Chris refused, so was dropped off at school, and that might have been the end. That same night local news was all about the parents found dead in their home on Arsenal street. I think it was Friday, because I was home, when police came to talk to Chris. No media ever picked up my brother’s relationship or about the ride.
It seems Dennis father had gotten into a Squable with his wife. Had accused her of cheating and at some point struck her. 15 year old Dennis tried to defend his mom and was struck as well. His father went into living room to sit and Dennis was sent his bedroom.
There he took out a 410 shot gun and cleaned and loaded it. The next morning or that evening he found his father in the living room and shot him in the chest. Then going into kitchen argued with his mom, wanting a check or cash to flee on. The argument went bad and he cut her throat. He later claimed not to recall stabbing his mom.
Then he drove around a bit in his Dads 1962 Buick, picked up my brother and dropped him at school. Proceeded to go pick up his 13 year old girl friend. Then they went on the road. They ended up in Williams Arizona. She found a job as a waitress and he found work at a lumber yard. Three weeks later a cop became suspicious of the very young couple and did a background check. They were brought back to St Louis and he was arrested for murder.
During that time media was a Circus with all kinds of speculation and stories. He was tried and found mentally incapacitated as a young man diagnosed with schizophrenia. He was sent to Missouri’s Fulton mental institution. In early 1970 due to state money problems he was released.
Coming back to St. Louis, getting married and having three kids. That marriage went bust and he again moved to North Carolina. Where for years things went well, he remarried and at least one short marriage before his last wife. A family dispute and he murdered his brother in law as I understand it.
In December of 2002 Dennis was found guilty of first degree murder for his involvement in Sextons death. Evidently Sextons lived in St Louis and Dennis had came back to kill him after his wife had went to Dennis for help.
So back to my memory part of the events.
For the next several weeks the local TV news and radio and papers was all about the manhunt, possible sightings and finally the arrest. I had never heard as Paul Harvey says the end of the story. Yet, seeing he returned to St Louis in 1970's and by then my brother was married I am left to wonder if their friendship was re-established?
For a interesting thing happened in 1973, before I went to college I got mid year high school graduation. I was working, saving school money, for Stone distributors @ 1927 Washington st. I got the job through my brother who owned a local delivery service, Stones was a major client.
There was working with me a guy my brothers age, his name was Dennis. He told me many times he had went to school with my brother and was surprised I didn’t remember him. As I recall he was married and invited me to dinner, I just never went. I do not recall his last name ever being mentioned, not strange there was five us and I didn’t know any of their last names. I do recall Dennis quit, just before I did to go to college. When I would ask Chris about him, he wouldn’t say much, but he is ok. Now I wonder?
In any case it was a shocking event in our normally peaceful neighborhood in those days. It was a event Dad never forgot and in a odd way it left scars and the story taught you a few things. You never know what someone you think you know is capable of, has done, or will do.
And now you know the end of the story!
The End of the Story(Rich Puckett)
They say, truth is better than fiction, perhaps, at least it’s more amazing. This event has been on my mind and I decided to find the details and share my personal memory.
The time was 1964 I was nine and waiting on November for my tenth birthday. My oldest brother would of been 15. We lived on 4323 Fyler just off of Morganford in St Louis, MO.
As I was only home weekends, holidays and summer because of going to the Missouri School for the Blind on 3815 magnolia, I have only brief personal interactions with the main character, Dennis Irby.
He and my oldest brother were very good friends. I guess both our father and his could be very strict. Yet, on more then one occasion I recall Dennis stoping by our house to get my brother and go play baseball. The news story made it sound as if he was a prisoner in his home, perhaps much of the time he was. Yet, I recall him and my brother practice pitching on a Saturday afternoon and others heading to games, played at Tower Grove Park, or at the field behind classic cars on Kings Highway.
I recall him as being friendly and never teasing me about my bad eyes, even trying to teach me to catch, but I couldn’t see the ball till it hit me. He was always polite to my Dad and Mom. In fact they were both friends to the son of who ran the Family in St Louis in those days. But none of us except my brother knew anything about that. They were always pleasant when dropping by.
Now what I recall, was my oldest brother normally walked to school. (This part I did not learn till the weekend, school had started back after summer break) it was on Wednesday September 23,1964, my brother was walking to school when Dennis pulled up and asked him if he wanted a ride to school.
Later Chris (my brother) said, he had asked how he had his Dads car and was told he had just took it. Then tried to talk my brother in to going on a trip with him. He said, he was picking up his girl friend and head out. If he told Chris to where that trip would be headed or any of what had happened, Chris never spoke of it. Yet, many things he never spoke of, in our later lives he told me things, some I wish I had not heard, on this though, if he knew more then I said he took it with him to his grave.
Chris refused, so was dropped off at school, and that might have been the end. That same night local news was all about the parents found dead in their home on Arsenal street. I think it was Friday, because I was home, when police came to talk to Chris. No media ever picked up my brother’s relationship or about the ride.
It seems Dennis father had gotten into a Squable with his wife. Had accused her of cheating and at some point struck her. 15 year old Dennis tried to defend his mom and was struck as well. His father went into living room to sit and Dennis was sent his bedroom.
There he took out a 410 shot gun and cleaned and loaded it. The next morning or that evening he found his father in the living room and shot him in the chest. Then going into kitchen argued with his mom, wanting a check or cash to flee on. The argument went bad and he cut her throat. He later claimed not to recall stabbing his mom.
Then he drove around a bit in his Dads 1962 Buick, picked up my brother and dropped him at school. Proceeded to go pick up his 13 year old girl friend. Then they went on the road. They ended up in Williams Arizona. She found a job as a waitress and he found work at a lumber yard. Three weeks later a cop became suspicious of the very young couple and did a background check. They were brought back to St Louis and he was arrested for murder.
During that time media was a Circus with all kinds of speculation and stories. He was tried and found mentally incapacitated as a young man diagnosed with schizophrenia. He was sent to Missouri’s Fulton mental institution. In early 1970 due to state money problems he was released.
Coming back to St. Louis, getting married and having three kids. That marriage went bust and he again moved to North Carolina. Where for years things went well, he remarried and at least one short marriage before his last wife. A family dispute and he murdered his brother in law as I understand it.
In December of 2002 Dennis was found guilty of first degree murder for his involvement in Sextons death. Evidently Sextons lived in St Louis and Dennis had came back to kill him after his wife had went to Dennis for help.
So back to my memory part of the events.
For the next several weeks the local TV news and radio and papers was all about the manhunt, possible sightings and finally the arrest. I had never heard as Paul Harvey says the end of the story. Yet, seeing he returned to St Louis in 1970's and by then my brother was married I am left to wonder if their friendship was re-established?
For a interesting thing happened in 1973, before I went to college I got mid year high school graduation. I was working, saving school money, for Stone distributors @ 1927 Washington st. I got the job through my brother who owned a local delivery service, Stones was a major client.
There was working with me a guy my brothers age, his name was Dennis. He told me many times he had went to school with my brother and was surprised I didn’t remember him. As I recall he was married and invited me to dinner, I just never went. I do not recall his last name ever being mentioned, not strange there was five us and I didn’t know any of their last names. I do recall Dennis quit, just before I did to go to college. When I would ask Chris about him, he wouldn’t say much, but he is ok. Now I wonder?
In any case it was a shocking event in our normally peaceful neighborhood in those days. It was a event Dad never forgot and in a odd way it left scars and the story taught you a few things. You never know what someone you think you know is capable of, has done, or will do.
And now you know the end of the story!
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Lillian Kazmierczak
05/22/2023IT is very unnerving when someone you now commits murder. A high school friend of mine murdered her parents. It made me re-evaluate many things. People you think you know are not always who you think they are!
ReplyHelp Us Understand What's Happening
Rich Puckett
05/22/2023Yes, it is heartbreaking and disturbing and then you also fill a sense of loss and grieving. I wonder how did you miss it? Thank you for reading the story.
COMMENTS (1)