Bio

John E. Winfield was born on August 18, 1970. He grew up in St. Louis County, Missouri. Not much is publicly documented about his early life, but he became known for his relationship with a woman named Carmelita Donald. Winfield and Carmelita began dating in 1989. They had two children together and shared physical custody of them during their on-and-off relationship, which lasted until the spring of 1996.

In the late summer of 1996, things began to change for Winfield. Carmelita started dating another man, named Tony Reynolds. They kept this relationship secret from Winfield for a month. During this time, Winfield was known to have made angry calls to Carmelita's home. He inquired about her whereabouts and would ask her sister, Melody, to tell Carmelita to call him when she got back.

On the night of September 9, 1996, Carmelita went out with Tony Reynolds. She returned to her apartment later that night, only to find Winfield waiting outside. This encounter escalated quickly, showing that Winfield had become very agitated and upset about the secret relationship.

In summary, John Winfield's early life includes his upbringing in St. Louis County, his relationship with Carmelita Donald, and his eventual jealousy and anger when she began dating another man.

Murder Story

On September 9, 1996, John Winfield committed two murders in St. Louis County, Missouri. His victims were Arthea Sanders and Shawnee Murphy, who were friends of his ex-girlfriend, Carmelita Donald. The events unfolded after Carmelita had a night out with a man named Tony Reynolds. At the time, Winfield, who was aware of Carmelita's whereabouts, was agitated and made several calls to her apartment.

As Carmelita and Tony returned home, they saw Winfield's car and decided to avoid him by going to a relative's house first. When they returned to the apartment, Winfield confronted Carmelita. He pushed her down the stairs and asked about her relationship with Tony.

In the meantime, Arthea had gone outside and slashed the tires of Winfield's car. When she returned, she warned Carmelita to run because Winfield was armed. Winfield entered the apartment, confronted Arthea, and shot her in the head. After this, he turned his attention to Carmelita, shooting her multiple times. She survived but was left permanently blinded.

As the chaos continued, Shawnee Murphy attempted to protect her children. Winfield shot Shawnee in the head as she pleaded for her life. He then directed the gun at James Johnson, who had tried to intervene. During a struggle, James managed to wrestle with Winfield before he fled the scene.

Winfield was arrested the next day at his home. Both Arthea Sanders and Shawnee Murphy died from their injuries. Following his trial, he was sentenced to death for his actions, and this sentence was carried out by lethal injection on June 18, 2014.