The Justice Report is a reader supported publication. Support our work by becoming a paid subscriber or making a one-time donation.
Springfield, Missouri – A Black man wanted in connection with the fatal shooting of his White teenage “girlfriend” has been arrested in Illinois after 18 days on the run.
Authorities, along with the victim’s mother, have suggested the possible involvement of a juvenile accomplice, though police have not yet identified the shooter.
According to a probable cause affidavit published by KOAM News Now, the Greene County Sheriff’s Office (GCSO) began investigating the disappearance of a juvenile on January 27th in the 5600 block of West Farm Road.
Upon arrival, a witness told deputies they saw their neighbor, 18-year-old Evrinn ‘Zo’ Worlds, carrying a black trash bag with an unknown object earlier that evening. Acting on this information, investigators obtained a search warrant for Worlds’ residence, where they discovered blood spatters inside the home.
Further investigation led authorities to a nearby field, where they found the remains of 14-year-old Jackie Jude Strahle. According to police, she had been shot in the upper torso and neck. Her body was reportedly “wrapped in insulation, bed sheets, and trash bags.”
Worlds has not been charged with homicide but instead faces charges of “felony abandonment of a corpse” and “misdemeanor tampering” with physical evidence.
Local residents have flooded social media with rumors. Many unverified posts include alleged screenshots of text messages that appear to show a confession from someone widely believed to be a minor accomplice in the crime.
Strahle’s pregnant mother has publicly named who she believes is responsible for her daughter’s death—and it is not Evrinn Worlds.
According to the probable cause affidavit, an anonymous witness told the GCSO that Worlds claimed a third party was responsible for Strahle’s death. The witness also alleged that Worlds pressured him to help dispose of Strahle’s body, but he refused and left the premises about 20 minutes after arriving.
The affidavit further states that an unidentified juvenile witness took a cab away from the area south of West Farm Road at approximately 8:03 PM. This was around 20 minutes after the adult witness, who claimed to have seen Strahle’s remains, left the scene in a separate taxi from Worlds’ residence.
While the GCSO has neither confirmed nor denied the rumors circulating—primarily from the Justice for Jackie Facebook page—they have acknowledged the existence of text messages. Authorities referred to the individuals involved as “associates” of Strahle.
“We know there are screenshots of messages from (Jackie Strahle’s) associates going around social media,” GCSO wrote on Facebook on January 29. “We want to assure our community that every lead is being followed up on.”
While most of these rumors are sourced from unverified screenshots, multiple social media sleuths predicted as early as January 30th that Worlds would eventually flee to St. Louis, a city over 200 miles away from Springfield.
After 18 days on the run, Worlds was captured on Valentine’s Day in Illinois in Madison, County. Madison County is directly adjacent to Greater St. Louis.
CrimeStoppers of St. Louis–a law enforcement partnered agency–would take nine days to do what the community-led Justice for Jackie page took less than three to perform; suggest that Worlds was anywhere near St. Louis.
A GoFundMe has been posted to assist the family of 14-year-old Jackie Strahle and has raised just 70% of its $10,000 goal.
Very little has been said of Strahle’s life, aside from claims that she was in a relationship with an adult Black man. Social media profiles linked to Strahle show images of her appearing to smoke marijuana at 13 and posts from age 11 in which she refers to herself as “always Antifa.”
Strahle’s immediate family, including her mother and siblings, are White. Her mother also appears to be married to a White man, according to an analysis of social media accounts.
Springfield, Missouri has an estimated population of around 170,000. White residents make up approximately 82% of the population, while Black residents only account for about 4.3% of the population.
Springfield Police have recorded 103 homicide arrests between 2019 and 2023. Of those arrested, 48 were Black—an over representation by a factor of more than 10.
Interracial relationships can often lead to violence and abuse, especially those involving Black men and underage White teenage girls.
In August of 2024, a missing White teenager was found dead on the banks of the Red River. A homicide investigation led to the arrest of an adult Black man from neighboring Fargo, North Dakota.
Legal documents claim that the Black suspect in the case, an 18-year-old man, had been dating the 13-year-old and stabbed her to death after she struck him during an argument. Authorities said he then hid the body near the river and disposed of his belongings.
In May of 2023, A 15-year-old White girl was found dead in DeKalb, Illinois, after having been reported missing for days. The remains of the victim were located inside a communal dumpster.
For the crime, Police arrested a Black career criminal and registered sex offender on probation for the 2020 rape of a different minor.
The pair—who lived in the same apartment building—were believed to have been engaged in a “dating relationship” after the suspect allegedly groomed the young victim for some time.
In June of 2023, a teenage White girl was found dead in an alleyway in Akron, Ohio. Months later, police finally made an arrest: a Black man with a vast criminal history. He was convicted last January of felony gross abuse of a corpse and misdemeanor failure to report knowledge of a death. However, the convict was given just 9 months in jail for his connection to the alleged overdose death of the young girl.
Consider supporting the Justice Report by donating or becoming a paid subscriber on Substack or our website. Paid subscribers enjoy benefits, including access to audio editions of all our exclusive articles.
