Woman charged in former alderman’s death, on GPS ankle monitor, ordered back to court
ST. LOUIS – As one criminal case involving dangerous driving comes to an end, the family of former O’Fallon Alderman Jimmy Mitchell awaits justice.
Mitchell lost his life more than a year ago, on Jan. 20, 2023, at the intersection of Broadway and River City Casino Blvd.
At the time, investigators said a St. Louis County police officer attempted a traffic stop on a Hyundai when it immediately fled.
“St. Louis County Police did not pursue the vehicle which entered city limits,” the police stated.
The Hyundai hit two other vehicles, including the car driven by Mitchell. He died at the scene.
A couple months later, St. Louis CrimeStoppers would name Nikkiah Mack as one of its most wanted on charges of involuntary manslaughter and armed criminal action.
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For nearly a year, Mack’s court case would involve status hearings and motions while she remained behind bars, all while Daniel Riley would be arrested, charged, tried, and sentenced in the violent downtown St. Louis crash that cost volleyball player Janae Edmundson her legs.
In January, court records reveal a judge approved Mack to be released from custody, pending trial, on GPS house arrest.
The FOX Files went to her south county home to ask about her house arrest and pending case.
“They just approved me to start working. I had a job interview the other day,” Mack said.
Mack didn’t say where and wouldn’t talk about her case without her attorney.
It’s unclear if the court granted her permission to drive to work, or if she will catch a ride from someone else. There’s no recent court filings about her new job either.
Mack’s attorney followed up and didn’t have any details on the job, but said everyone is innocent until proven guilty and it’s not unusual for someone to work while on house arrest.
“Ankle monitors are supposed to enable people to go home, so they’re not sitting in a cell,” St. Louis University Law Professor Anders Walker said. “The trend has been to relax some of the rules on bond, on bail, get people out of cells, back home — the trend has been to look the other way.”
Court records uncovered by the FOX Files reveal that on February 15, Mack’s GPS battery died. A few days later, the court received notification that it had been charged. It’s unclear how long the battery was actually dead, though.
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In a photo FOX 2 does not have legal access to show, it captured Mack holding something between her fingers. It appears there’s a small amount of smoke coming from it, but we wanted to ask her about it.
“It was a Black and Mild,” Mack said.
A Black and Mild is a cigar you can buy at most gas stations but now the judge wants to see Mack in his courtroom. A hearing has been scheduled for April 25.
A spokesman for the 22nd Judicial Circuit issued the following statement:
“Every day, the judges of the 22nd Judicial Circuit make extremely difficult decisions on whether to release defendants awaiting trial on bond. They do this by carefully reviewing a variety of factors in accordance with Missouri Supreme Court rules that require courts set and impose the least restrictive conditions necessary to secure a defendant’s appearance in court.”
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