Teen Wearing Creepy Clown Costume Charged with Murder

A 15-year-old Illinois teen allegedly seen roaming a neighborhood in a creepy clown costume has been charged with murder after a 78-year-old Navy veteran was brutally stabbed to death in what police say was a random attack.

John Wesley Allen Sr. was found dead on an East St. Louis street with multiple stab wounds, according to Illinois State Police.

Authorities say Allen, a U.S. Navy veteran and retired bus driver, was attacked while at a bus stop. Investigators quickly identified a 15-year-old suspect, who was taken into custody just hours later and charged with first-degree murder.

The teen’s name has not been released because of his age.

But the already disturbing case took an even more chilling turn after surveillance footage surfaced showing someone dressed in a baggy clown costume wandering through the neighborhood around the time of the killing.

Resident Lee Palmer said his mother’s doorbell camera captured the bizarre visitor approaching her home that evening.

The masked figure could be seen staring directly into the camera and appeared to whisper, “I’ve been looking for you.”

Palmer said his mother was home alone at the time and wisely never opened the door.

“I couldn’t believe it. He was dressed in the clown outfit,” Palmer said. “That was kind of spooky for her.”

According to Palmer, the person remained around the property for several minutes before eventually walking behind the house.

The encounter left him deeply concerned about what might have happened if his mother had answered the door.

“Why out of all the houses, why come to this house?” he said.

Illinois State Police later acknowledged that footage showing the suspect wearing a clown costume had been circulating and said investigators were working to collect all relevant surveillance video connected to the case.

Authorities have not publicly revealed a motive for Allen’s killing or explained why they believe the attack was random.

Allen’s devastated relatives said he was a devoted family man who had served his country and spent years working as a bus driver.

His sister, Marie Stanford, said the family is struggling to understand why anyone would want to hurt him.

“I’m just wondering why this person did this,” she said. “He didn’t know my brother.”

Another relative, Tenia Stanford, said the family has been left to deal with unimaginable grief over what appears to have been a senseless act of violence.

“Now we have to sit here and go through this pain and suffering because of some random act?” she said.

The investigation remains ongoing as police continue reviewing surveillance footage and working to determine exactly what led up to Allen’s killing.