Dad of 3 Allegedly Fatally Shot in the Head After Offering to Drive a Woman to a Warming Shelter ‘Because She Was Cold’

A Missouri man and father of three was allegedly shot and killed after offering a woman a ride to a warming shelter.

William Palmer was found dead early Sunday, Feb. 1, with a gunshot wound to the head, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police said, according to U.K. newspaper Independent and First Alert 4.

First Alert 4 reported Palmer was discovered near N 9th and Olive in downtown St. Louis at around 2:30 a.m. local time.

Palmer’s fiancé, Riyen Jones, told the outlet that he had been collecting scrap metal on Saturday when he encountered Brittany Rivoire, 36. Jones said Palmer often stopped to help people he saw walking.

“As far as we know, she asked him at a gas station to take her to a warming shelter because she was cold,” Jones told First Alert 4.

In a statement, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police said officers arrested 36-year-old Brittany Rivoire in connection with “the homicide of a man in his 50s in Downtown on February 1, 2026.” Police said the Circuit Attorney’s Office reviewed the case and issued charges against Rivoire for Murder 1st Degree, Armed Criminal Action, Unlawful Possession of a Firearm, and Tampering 1st Degree. Authorities did not confirm that Rivoire was the same woman described as requesting a ride to a warming shelter.

A friend of Palmer’s was also inside the vehicle at the time, but later got out after allegedly noticing behavior that raised concerns about Rivoire, First Alert 4 reported.

Surveillance footage later captured the woman allegedly shooting Palmer in the head before driving off in his truck and leaving it stranded, according to the outlet.

“For somebody to take him for granted when all he was doing was helping her and then to do it to basically take his truck is… I can’t wrap my head around it,” Jones told First Alert 4.

She described Palmer as “the glue to our family” and said he was “just a giver.”

Rivoire’s charges include first-degree murder, unlawful possession of a firearm, armed criminal action and first-degree tampering with a motor vehicle, according to Independent. She is currently being held in jail without bond.

A GoFundMe page set up to help cover funeral expenses and support Palmer’s family has raised $4,122 toward a $5,500 goal.

“My fiancé was murdered on February 1st,” Jones alleged in the fundraiser description. She further claimed, “He was trying to help somebody, and in the process, the girl tried stealing his truck and shot him.”

Jones added that the couple shared a 6-year-old son, and that Palmer also had an 18-year-old daughter and a 21-year-old son. “He was the one that took care of everything financially,” she wrote. “I’m wanting to raise money to help support the household and take care of funeral arrangements.”