St. Louis Man Who Killed a Woman During Two Carjackings Sentenced to 40 Years in Prison Publisher: U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Missouri Byline: Robert Patrick Dateline: St. Louis, Missouri Date: 22 March 2024 Subjects: American Government , Crime

ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge John A. Ross on Thursday sentenced a man from St. Louis, Missouri to 40 years in prison for killing a woman during one carjacking and shooting another woman during a carjacking a few weeks later. 

Loyse Dozier, 21, fatally shot Laruth Jones on July 10, 2022, while stealing her Mercedes CLA 250. Jones had just parked at the Raqqa Mart at 352 Chambers Road, in Riverview, in St. Louis County. She was standing near the store’s entrance when she saw Dozier, who was wearing a full-face mask, get into her car. She confronted Dozier with her own pistol. During the resulting exchange of gunfire, Dozier fatally shot Jones. Before leaving in the stolen Mercedes, Dozier got out and stole Jones’ gun. He later set her car on fire in an alley in St. Louis.

On Aug. 1, 2022, Dozier shot another woman while trying to steal her car from a Walgreens at 1400 North Grand Boulevard in St. Louis. A masked Dozier walked onto the parking lot, opened the door of the victim’s Kia Optima and ordered her out. The victim got out and handed her keys to Dozier, who shot her twice with Jones’ stolen gun before getting in the Kia. An off-duty Florissant Police Department officer, who was working as a security guard inside the Walgreens, ran outside after the shooting and scared Dozier away. Dozier left his phone behind in the Kia.

Nine days later, St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officers spotted Dozier at a gas station at West Florissant and Adelaide Avenues. He ran, discarding the gun he’d stolen from Jones and a bag containing 5.76 grams of fentanyl. Dozier had cocaine base in 25 plastic baggies in his pocket when he was arrested. He is also a convicted felon and is barred from possessing a firearm.

At Thursday’s sentencing hearing, the surviving carjacking victim spoke of the impact of Dozier’s crimes, as did Jones’ sister. 

Dozier pleaded guilty in December to four felonies: carjacking resulting in death, attempted carjacking resulting in serious bodily injury, being a felon in possession of a firearm and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.

The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, the St. Louis County Police Department and the FBI investigated the case.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Martin prosecuted the case.

Updated July 18, 2024