10/04/1990 - Report #185 - Victim: Brenda Jean Pruitt - Location: Maryland Heights, MO
MCS Report #185
Classification: Homicide
Requesting Agency: Maryland Heights Police Department
Date of Activation: 10/04/1990
Commander and Department: Lt. Paul Banta, Des Peres PD
Deputy Report Officer and Department: Lt. Edward Robertson, Ferguson PD
Victim: Brenda Jean Pruitt
Suspect: Gary Randall Muehlberg
The Maryland Heights Police Department requested the assistance of the Major Case Squad in investigating the death of Brenda Pruitt (age 27). At approximately 9:24am, police officers responded to the area of 12400 Basston Drive for a report of a body found in a trash can. City workers were in the area cutting weeds and picking up trash when they came upon a 32-gallon trash can lying in the grass. When they went to put the trash can on their truck, they discovered a body inside the trash can. Officers located a decomposing female body in the trash can. The unidentified woman had been strangled.
Investigators initially thought the unidentified victim in this case might be Sandra Little. But Sandra’s body was identified in Major Case Squad case #194.
In March 1991, the unidentified victim in this case was identified as Brenda Pruitt. Brenda had been reported as a missing person on 05/09/1990 to the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department after not having been seen since 05/04/1990.
31 years later in September 2022, Gary Muehlberg (age 41 at the time of the murder) was charged with Murder 1st Degree after being identified through DNA.
He is also the suspect in Sandra Little’s death (Major Case Squad case #194) as well as two other women in the St. Louis area.
