Eyewitneses to an earlier armed robbery helped city police nab a 19-year-old in connection with the murder of the co-owner of the Okie Dokie Market No. 5 in St. Elmo on Saturday afternoon.
Police said they were investigating an armed robbery at Southland Discount Store at 8 W. 38th Street that happened a few minutes before the Okie Dokie call.
Officers said they "developed vehicle and suspect information from eyewitnesses at 8 W. 38th Street" that led to the identification of Charles Adrian Nash in a lineup.
Nash was taken into custody on Saturday night in the slaying of Ok-Hui Brown, 64, who had owned and operated the grocery along with her husband for a number of years.
Nash is charged with first-degree murder, especially aggravated robbery, aggravated robbery and theft of property.
Police say Nash confessed to carrying out the robbery and murder at the Okie Dokie Market and also the earlier robbery 10 blocks away.
Police said Nash told "how he shot the clerk with a silver and black semi-automatic gun and robbed the store of a cash register and video recorder machine."
He said he fled the scene in a four-door white Ford Crown Victoria. That vehicle was located in Red Bank.
Police said evidence at the scene was consistent with the statement given by Nash.
Two young boys, including a 9-year-old, went into the store at 5601 St. Elmo Ave. about 4:30 p.m. and found the clerk lying in a pool of blood.
Money was missing from the store, which has experienced several robberies.
The woman and her husband lived in a house connected to the store. Her husband was asleep in the house at the time.
The boys found the victim lying on the floor. They called 911 and police responded as well as paramedics. The victim was pronounced dead on the scene. The victim appeared to have been shot fatally in the chest.
An autopsy of the victim will be performed by the Hamilton County Medical Examiner’s Office.
The suspect was picked up by detectives around 10:30 p.m. on Saturday and brought to the Police Service Center for questioning.
During the interview Nash confessed to Det. Ralph Freeman and Det. Scott Bales that he had robbed the Southland Discount Store and shortly after the Okie Dokie Market #5, police said.
They said Nash also confessed to shooting the victim at the Okie Dokie Market.
Nash was transported to the Hamilton County Jail, where he is being held pending a preliminary hearing on March 6 in General Sessions Court.
The Okie Dokie Market remained closed Monday, and several wreathes were placed on the door in memory of the owner.