Woman killed in downtown St. Louis parking garage was fighting to bring son’s murderer to justice

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (KMOV) – The woman killed in a downtown St. Louis parking garage on Wednesday was fighting for justice after her son was murdered.

Police were called to the Marriott parking garage in the 400 block of 9th Street before 7 p.m. and found Latatia Stewart, of East St. Louis, dead behind her car. She was an employee of the hotel.

“I was completely shocked. I had just talked to her about her son, says CrimeStoppers Regional Executive Director, Lisa Pisciotta.”She was going to call me back and then I found out it was her in the parking lot of the garage.”

St. Louis police originally said the woman had been shot. In an update Thursday morning, they said she was found with “circular defects to her chest and side.”

“Working mother trying to find out what happened to her son, raising her other children and then this happened right out of the blue,” Pisciotta says.

News 4 has learned that Latatia Stewart’s son, Gregory Stewart, 31, was murdered on May 29, 2020, in East St. Louis. She was very active in trying to find out who murdered him. In an interview six months after Gregory Stewart’s death, she said the family believed he was lured to the house where he was killed.

The investigation into Gregory Stewart’s murder is still open. A spokesperson for Illinois State Police said they are working with St. Louis police after his mother’s murder.

“There are no updates,” ISP Trooper Josh Korando said. “The case is still open and ongoing. The ISP is working side-by-side with the St Louis Metropolitan Police Department.”

CrimeStoppers is offering a $5,000 reward for information on Latatia Stewart’s murder. Pisciotta tells News 4, Latatia also raised an additional $1500 dollar reward in her son’s case that increased the reward money to $6500 for tips leading to an arrest.

“It’s heart wrenching. It shouldn’t happen and I’m hoping that information from the public will help detectives find the individuals who are responsible for this and put them behind bars as soon as possible.”

Anyone with information on the murders of Gregory or Latatia Stewart is asked to call CrimeStoppers at 1-866-371-TIPS (8477). Tipsters can remain anonymous.

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