A Caseyville businessman is accused of paying $10,000 to have his estranged wife’s girlfriend killed outside her Collinsville home in January 2025. The gunman has been sentenced to life in prison, and the alleged mastermind’s murder trial is scheduled for January 2027.
Here are key takeaways:
• The murder: Portia Rowland, 32, was shot and killed about 6 a.m. on Jan. 21, 2025, outside the Olive Street home she shared with Sarah Shafer, who was planning to marry Rowland. Sarah Shafer’s estranged husband, Sammy J. Shafer Jr., had filed for divorce in August 2023 after nearly 10 years of marriage.
• The arrests: The Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis followed more than 200 leads and executed more than 30 search warrants. Investigators used license-plate readers to track a suspect vehicle, leading to the arrests of alleged getaway driver Marty D. Shaw, alleged gunman Gary D. Johnson and Shafer within days…