A man from Missouri is facing serious charges after allegedly murdering a mother and her unborn baby in front of her children.
On April 23, Vanier T. Jones reportedly approached the four daughters of 35-year-old Christina Lynn Rentchler, asking them where their mother could be found. According to a police affidavit, the children saw Jones pull out a gun and shoot their mother in the back of the head.
When the St. Louis Metropolitan Police arrived, they found Rentchler unconscious and not breathing. Sadly, emergency responders pronounced both her and her unborn child dead at the scene. The affidavit notes that Rentchler had been in her second trimester at the time of her death and was shot multiple times.
Additionally, Jones allegedly shot another woman who was conscious when police arrived. This woman stated that Jones had been staying with her and became angry before the shooting. She managed to play dead while he questioned Rentchler’s children about their mother.
Jones has a history of felony convictions, including a recent assault charge in 2023, and was on supervised release at the time of the incident. He is currently being held without bail, facing 17 charges, including two counts of first-degree murder. He has no lawyer currently and is scheduled to appear in court again on May 12.
A GoFundMe page has been set up to assist Rentchler’s two young daughters following this tragic event.
