Charges filed after St. Louis woman beaten to death
ST. LOUIS – A St. Louis man has been charged with beating his girlfriend to death two months ago.
According to the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department’s probable cause statement, the victim, Cherish Lappin, was brought to Barnes Jewish Hospital on February 6 with extensive injuries from a vicious beating. She was initially found at the intersection of 14th Street and Cass Avenue in the Carr Square neighborhood.
Lappin was declared brain dead on February 11. Her heart gave out on February 14. Lappin was 35.
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Police claim witnesses identified Eric D. Johnson, 41, as the man responsible for the injuries. One witness said Johnson approached her and asked for help caring for Lappin because he’d beaten her with his fists and a gun. Another witness told police they’d seen Johnson strike Lappin on two different occasions prior to Lappin’s hospitalization.
Investigators determined the fatal beating took place inside an abandoned home and found blood at that location, consistent with witness descriptions.
Police eventually located Johnson and took him into custody.
The St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office charged Eric Johnson, 41, with first-degree murder. He’s been jailed without bond.
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