Woman charged in North County homicide

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (KMOV) - A woman has been charged with murder after a woman was found dead inside a home in North County Sunday afternoon.

St. Louis County Police said they responded to a call for a deceased person in a home in the 10500 block of Earl Drive just before 4:30 p.m. on Sunday. Police said officers found an adult woman unresponsive in a bedroom, and she was pronounced dead at the scene.

The victim was later identified as 58-year-old Debra Gipson.

Lakiesha Holyfield, 31, who lives in the home on the 10500 block of Earl Drive, has been charged with first-degree murder. According to a probable cause statement, police had found Holyfield inside the home with Gipson. When asked what happened, police claim Holyfield said, “[the Victim] was murdered. Murdered by me.”

Police also said they spoke with Gipson’s husband, who said that on June 3, Holyfield had sent a text to her father saying, “If I gotta fight [Victim] is a plain homicide.”

According to police, their preliminary investigation has revealed that the woman’s death was because of an incident involving someone she knew.

Holyfield is being held on a $750,000 cash only, no 10% bond.

Anyone with information is asked to call the St. Louis County Police Department at 636-529-8210 or CrimeStoppers at 1-866-371-8477.