Demetrius Murphy, a 15-year-old St. Louis resident, participated in a “knockout game” attack in fall 2011, before he was killed a year and a half later during an attempted burglary.
Murphy and a group of others punched Matt Quain, 53, in October 2011 as part of the so-called game, police said.
Quain was left with a broken jaw and a bruised and cut face.
Murphy and six other juveniles were charged but the case was dropped after a 13-year-old witness failed to show up to court, police told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
There are varying accounts of when the “knockout game” started, with this account putting it as far back as October 2011. Characteristics of the game are that the punchers try to knock out random people with one punch, and there is not any robbery involved.
Murphy was shot by the man who owned the home that Murphy was trying to break into, and he died.
Michael Bryant III, who was with Murphy, was charged with second-degree murder and attempted burglary, because under Missouri law he was deemed responsible for the death since his accomplice died in the commission of a burglary.
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