ST. LOUIS — Fear turned into heartbreak early Wednesday morning when police found Jrok Imb, known to many as “Pee Wee,” dead in the Central West End. What began as a desperate search for a missing man ended quietly and painfully on a dark stretch of Olive Street.
Officers with the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department were called to the 4200 block of Olive Street around 1 a.m. The call came after University City police traced the cellphone signal of a missing person to the area. That digital trail led officers to a scene no one wanted to find.
When police arrived, they found Imb unresponsive. He had suffered a puncture wound to his torso. First responders tried to help, but there was nothing they could do. He was pronounced dead at the scene, right where the search for him ended.
In just a few hours, a missing person case became a homicide investigation. The shift was sudden and jarring. What had carried hope through the night collapsed into grief by morning, sending shockwaves through University City and the Central West End.
Friends and neighbors knew Jrok Imb as “Pee Wee,” a familiar name and face in the community. People say he was connected, known, and present in the lives around him. His death feels especially cruel to those who believed he would be found alive.
Police have not released details about a suspect or a possible motive. Detectives are still working to piece together how Imb ended up on Olive Street and what led to the fatal injury. For now, many questions remain unanswered.
Beyond the flashing lights and police tape, this is a family’s loss. It is the sudden absence of a son, a friend, and a man whose life mattered to many. As investigators push forward, loved ones are left holding memories and waiting for justice.
