ST. LOUIS – Murder charges were filed Friday against two men who police believe combined to shoot and kill former Saint Louis University volleyball player Megan Boken during an attempted robbery in broad daylight on Aug. 18.
Boken, who played for SLU from 2007-2010 but lived in Wheaton, Ill., was back in town for a reunion game with her former teammates when she was gunned down in her parked car in the Central West End at about 2:20 p.m.
According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, prosecutors filed murder charges against Keith V. Esters and Jonathan Terrell Perkins, both 18, in conjunction with Boken’s killing. Police told the Post-Dispatch that Esters is believed to have shot Boken when she resisted the robbery while Perkins allegedly drove the getaway car.
Esters was charged with first-degree murder, first-degree attempted robbery and armed criminal action. Perkins was charged with second-degree murder, second-degree attempted robbery and armed criminal action.
Boken, 23, was talking to her mother on a cellphone while sitting in her parked Volkswagen when she was shot to death.
The Post-Dispatch reported that Esters was arrested for assault on a law enforcement officer, resisting arrest and third-degree assault stemming from an incident in November 2011 when he was fighting with his girlfriend’s stepfather over an Xbox and had to be subdued by a police Taser.
"Megan was a vibrant young woman and a wonderful representative of Saint Louis University and Billiken athletics," SLU athletic director Chris May said in a release. "In addition to being a great student, she was an outstanding athlete and an important part of our championship volleyball teams. All the qualities we value in a Saint Louis student-athlete were reflected in Megan. She contributed as much in the classroom and in the community as she did on the court. Our thoughts and prayers are with her family and friends."
Boken, a 2011 graduate of SLU's John Cook School of Business, was part of teams that won Atlantic 10 Conference regular-season titles in 2008 and 2009. She was named to the all-conference second team as a junior and earned honorable mention status as a senior.
"We are shocked and saddened by this terrible and tragic loss," the school added in the release. "Megan was a truly outstanding student-athlete who excelled in the classroom and on the court. She exemplified the very best of what it means to be a Saint Louis University Billiken. Our focus right now is on providing as much support as we can for our students, and our thoughts and prayers are with Megan's family and friends during this very difficult time."
