Missouri Good Samaritan Helps Woman Stranded on the Road. Authorities Charge Him with Her Murder.

Tragic Shooting of Good Samaritan in Missouri

A Missouri man who frequently assisted strangers met a tragic end after giving a ride to a woman who needed transportation to a warming shelter, according to police and family members.

William Palmer was found shot at an intersection in downtown St. Louis just before 2:30 a.m. on a Sunday morning and was declared dead at the scene. According to reports, Palmer was collecting scrap metal when he met 36-year-old Brittany Rivoir at a gas station. His fiancée, Ryenne Jones, relayed that Rivoir requested a ride to a warming facility due to the cold weather.

“I always told him not to pick up people from the street anymore, but he just couldn’t help himself,” Jones shared. “If he saw someone walking, he would go out of his way to help them.”

Investigators mentioned that a friend who was with Palmer began to feel uneasy about Rivoir’s behavior and exited the vehicle before the shooting occurred. Security footage reportedly captured Rivoir firing a fatal shot into Palmer’s head before she drove his car away to a location several blocks distant.

Rivoir was apprehended by another driver before police could arrest her, as reported. In 2024, she had been convicted of motor vehicle tampering.

The St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office charged Rivoir with first-degree murder, armed criminal action, unlawful possession of a firearm, and first-degree tampering with a motor vehicle. She is currently being held without bond.

“It’s just hard to understand how someone could take Palmer’s kindness for granted and then do something so horrific just to steal his truck after he was trying to help,” Jones expressed. She described Palmer as “the glue of our family” and “just a giver.”