⏱ 3 min read
A monster stalked and attacked a woman in the shadow of the iconic Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri, in December 2023. Monte Derrell Boatman, 37, of Fairview Heights, Illinois, was caught on video preying on his victim near 4th Street and Washington Avenue. He grabbed her, wrapped his arms around her, and forced her into bushes, threatening to kill her with a razor to her neck.
Two days later, rangers with the National Park Service apprehended Boatman after a struggle, which left one ranger needing medical treatment. In May 2025, Boatman pleaded guilty to aggravated sexual abuse in U.S. District Court.
U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Clark delivered the justice St. Louis residents demanded, sentencing Boatman to 28 years in prison. Boatman’s lengthy and brutal rap sheet, including a 2009 armed robbery conviction, weighed heavily in the judge’s decision.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson described Boatman’s 2023 crime as part of a ‘largely unabated history of criminality since the age of 13.’ The case was a joint effort by the National Park Service, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, and the FBI.
📋 Key Facts
- Crime: Sex Crimes
- Defendant: Missouri
- Location: MO
- Source: DOJ Press Release
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