Court documents describe a car crash that allegedly led to Daisa Allen’s abduction, the burning of her vehicle and her death.
ST. LOUIS, Mo. — Two people have been charged with murder, robbery and kidnapping in the 2022 death of Daisa Allen, a 25-year-old mother who disappeared after leaving home and was found fatally shot more than a week later in north St. Louis.
Kristian Haughton and Jamont Ellis each face charges of first-degree murder, first-degree robbery and first-degree kidnapping. The charges were filed about four years after Allen’s death and are allegations that have not been proven in court.
Charging documents cited in local reports say Allen was traveling to buy diapers on March 30, 2022, when her 2005 Mercury Montego was involved in a crash near Riverview Drive and Chain of Rocks Drive. Authorities allege Haughton was driving the other vehicle and that Ellis and Denzel Williams were passengers.
After the crash, Ellis and Williams allegedly got out carrying guns and approached Allen, according to the documents. Investigators say the two men entered Allen’s car and drove away while holding her at gunpoint. Haughton allegedly left the vehicle involved in the crash and arranged to meet the men at her home.
Authorities allege the three later traveled through St. Louis in two vehicles, with Ellis and Williams driving Allen’s car and Haughton following in another vehicle. Investigators believe Allen remained inside her car during that period, according to the charging documents.
About two hours after the crash, firefighters found Allen’s Mercury burning in the 700 block of Thrush Avenue. Fire investigators determined that the blaze had been intentionally set. Allen was not found with the car, and her disappearance led relatives, friends and police to begin searching for her.
Allen had been reported missing March 31, 2022. Early reports said she had left her home in the Baden area of north St. Louis the previous evening and had not contacted relatives or friends. Her family offered a $5,000 reward as the search continued.
Relatives and friends found Allen’s body April 9, 2022, in a vacant area near Scranton Avenue and Riverview Drive. Police opened a homicide investigation after determining that she had been shot multiple times. Charging documents characterize the shooting as an execution-style killing, though authorities have not publicly described who allegedly fired the shots.
Investigators said shell casings recovered in the case were linked to two other incidents, including one associated with Ellis and another involving Haughton. The available reports do not explain when those incidents occurred or describe the full evidence authorities used to establish the alleged connections.
The charging documents also say Haughton acknowledged being involved in the crash and helping Ellis and Williams afterward. The precise wording of her alleged statement and the circumstances under which it was made have not been publicly released in the reports reviewed for this article.
Williams cannot be prosecuted in Allen’s case because he was killed in an unrelated St. Louis County shooting in 2023, police said. Authorities said any charges involving him would be ended because of his death. Ellis was already incarcerated on weapons and narcotics violations when the new charges were announced.
No court dates, defense attorneys or plea information for Haughton and Ellis were identified in the available reports. The case will proceed through the St. Louis court system, where prosecutors must prove the allegations beyond a reasonable doubt.
Author note: Last updated July 31, 2026.