Prosecutors say a missing-person inquiry led investigators to evidence that Ross Harris had been shot and dumped in the Mississippi River.
ST. LOUIS, Mo. — A St. Louis homicide case that started with a missing-person report now rests on a mix of threatening messages, phone records, blood evidence and an alleged confession, according to charging documents filed against 27-year-old Ahmad K. Jackson.
Prosecutors say Jackson killed his former boyfriend, 24-year-old Ross Harris, then disposed of his body in the Mississippi River. The case stands out because investigators say key evidence came together quickly from digital records and family accounts before Harris’ body had been recovered. Jackson has been charged with first-degree murder, armed criminal action and abandonment of a corpse. He was being held without bond at the St. Louis City Justice Center in the days after charges were announced, while the public record still left major questions about the exact sequence of events and the search for Harris’ remains.
Police were called April 4 to investigate a missing person, later identified as Harris, a resident of the Soulard neighborhood. A witness told investigators Harris’ phone had last pinged at Jackson’s home, according to the affidavit cited in local reports. That detail gave detectives an early location to examine. Family members then turned over a voicemail in which, police said, Jackson threatened to kill Harris and said his family would not be able to recognize him afterward. Investigators also said Harris’ phone contained text messages from Jackson accusing him of cheating and threatening to harm him. Together, those records gave prosecutors a narrative of conflict before they publicly accused Jackson of carrying out the killing.
Authorities say phone data later placed Jackson on a route that became central to the case. Police said his records showed he bought a gun in St. Charles, drove to Harris’ house and then returned to his own residence. Officers reported finding blood in Jackson’s home and vehicle, evidence that could become important if the case moves toward trial and forensic experts are called to explain what was recovered and how it was tested. The most damaging allegation came from the police interview itself: investigators said Jackson admitted buying the gun, shooting Harris and dumping his body in the Mississippi River. That statement, like the rest of the affidavit, remains an accusation until tested in court, and no defense account was detailed in the earliest published reports.
The case has also exposed a difficult reality for homicide investigations when a body is still missing. Prosecutors can still file charges if they believe the evidence supports them, but the absence of remains can leave unanswered questions about the exact location, timing and physical evidence tied to the death. In Missouri and elsewhere, prosecutors often rely on digital data, witness statements, blood evidence and admissions when presenting such cases. Here, local reporting showed authorities moving ahead with severe charges even without publicly announcing a body recovery. That decision suggested investigators believed they had enough evidence to support probable cause while the search and evidence review continued.
What comes next will likely be defined by procedural steps rather than public emotion. Jackson is expected to face early court proceedings tied to the felony charges, and prosecutors may later file additional details through amended documents, discovery disclosures or hearing testimony. Defense attorneys could challenge the admissibility of any confession, the handling of phone records or the interpretation of forensic evidence. Investigators, meanwhile, may continue work related to the river, physical evidence and witness interviews. Public attention has remained high because the case combines domestic-violence allegations, a missing-person start, and the unresolved question of where Harris’ body is. Those factors could make every future filing closely watched.
Even with the legal case taking shape, Harris has remained more than a name in a court document. Friends and loved ones gathered this week at a balloon release in his honor, with one mourner telling KSDK that Harris was loving, caring and compassionate. The gathering served as a reminder that while prosecutors build a criminal case around records and charges, the people closest to Harris are still trying to absorb the loss itself. For them, the next hearing may matter, but so will every answer still missing from the public record.
As of the latest reports, Jackson remained jailed without bond, no initial court date had been widely published, and the search for Harris’ body had not produced a public recovery announcement.
Author note: Last updated April 23, 2026.