An Arlington, Texas couple were arrested after 17-year-old Alyssa Wilson was fatally shot in Missouri.
Family photo via Facebook
An Arlington couple were arrested in the fatal shooting of a 17-year-old girl on a highway in Missouri last week, according to police.
Willie Herndon, 42, and Taiya Herndon, 45, were arrested for the shooting death of Alyssa Wilson on Oct. 14, Overland police said during a news conference Monday.
Willie Herndon faces a murder charge and Taiya Herndon, who drove her husband to Illinois after the shooting, was arrested on charges of hindering prosecution, according to police.
First responders were dispatched about 7 p.m. to Interstate 170 southbound, near Midland Boulevard, in St. Louis County, Missouri, after reports of an accident. When officers arrived, they found Wilson inside a red Buick Encore with an apparent gunshot wound, Chief Deputy Cmdr. Jack Abell said.
Wilson was taken to Barnes Hospital, where she later died, Abel said.
Abel said investigators found surveillance video showing a white Buick Enclave stopping on the shoulder of southbound I-170, near St. Charles Rock Road. A person exited the vehicle, stood outside briefly, fired a shot, got back in, turned off the hazard lights and drove away.
Investigators conducted an extensive search in the area, locating surveillance video of the vehicle parked on the shoulder and exiting the highway. A shell casing was found in the grass just off the shoulder, according to police.
Using license plate recognition cameras, investigators identified a vehicle of interest with out-of-state registration. Information led investigators to a hotel in Illinois, where they conducted surveillance for several hours, police said.
After the North Texas couple exited the hotel and were detained, officers executed a search warrant on their hotel room, recovering a gun and supporting evidence consistent with the crime scene, police said.
During his interview with the investigators, Willie Herndon provided details regarding his involvement in the incident and information about potential ongoing investigations in other areas, which remain active, police said.
“Alyssa was a young lady with a bright future. She was merely driving to an event at the zoo. To her family, who is here today, there are no words,” Prosecutor Melissa Price Smith said. “However, we want you to know we stand beside you in the aftermath of this senseless tragedy, and we will do everything we can to seek to find justice for your loved one.”
“Alyssa was 17, excited about her life, excited about her future. She had 60 days until she turned 18, and we were getting ready to take our first family vacation together to go to Disney for her to see her favorite person in the world, Princess Tiana, and unfortunately, she’s not going to get to do that anymore,” the teen’s father, Robert Hickman, said during the news conference. “This was a senseless act, and we ask that everyone take a look at yourself inside and make sure that next time something happens like this, that you think before something happens.”
Willie Herndon is being held on a $1 million cash-only bond, while Taiya Herndon is held on a $500,000 cash-only bond, Smith said
This story was originally published October 20, 2026 at 6:23 PM.
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Shambhavi covers crime, law enforcement and other breaking news in Fort Worth and Tarrant County. She graduated from the University of North Texas and previously covered a variety of general assignment topics in West Texas. She grew up in Nepal.