On
Monday, September 20, 1948, two officers,
Charles Neaves, 30, and Sandy Washington,
26, were dispatched to 1334 Paseo on a disturbance
call. The two officers had responded to a
call at that address two days earlier and
arrested William Bell, on the complaint of
Mrs. Helen Rainey.
When
the officers arrived they found a drinking
party in progress. They informed William Bell,
who was participating, that he was in violation
of the conditions of his Peace Bond and would
have to accompany them to police headquarters.
George
Bell, William's brother, objected to the arrest
and was subsequently told to come along. On
the pretense of looking for his coat George
Bell suddenly produced a shotgun and fired
point blank at Officer Neaves, striking him
in the stomach, and killing him.
While
trying to escape from the apartment, Officer
Washington was shot and killed by William
Bell with the same shotgun. William also killed
Officer Charles Perrine, 45, with a riot gun
taken from a police vehicle. William wounded
Sergeant William Wells, 34, and Officer Keiffer
Burris, 34, before he was killed. Also slain
was Edwin Burton Warren, 27, an innocent bystander.
On
December 8, 1948, George Bell, charged with
slaying Officer Neaves was given the death
penalty by a Circuit Court Jury. The jury
returned its verdict to Judge Dewey P. Thatch
after deliberating for four hours and twenty-two
minutes.
On
February 11, 1949, George Bell was transferred
from the county jail to the State Penitientiary
in Jefferson City, Missouri. He was sentenced
to die on March 25, 1949 in the lethal gas
chamber.
Because of an appeal pending in the Missouri
Supreme Court, George Bell was not executed
until December 2, 1949 at 12:01 a.m. George
Bell became the 25th person to be executed
by the State of Missouri.
Officer Charles Perrine was survived by his
brother, Officer Arthur Perrine Jr. #573,
who served from 1929 to 1934 and later served
as Chief of Police in Riverside, MO from 1961-1963
and Municipal Judge of Northmoor, MO from
1971-75. Arthur Perrine Jr. passed away in
June of 1994.