Megan Boken, a 23-year old volleyball star who attended St. Louis University, was shot to death on Saturday afternoon in her car just hours before she was supposed to participate in a game at her alma mater. Plagued by suspicious circumstances, the shooting has puzzled investigators who now say they don’t believe she knew her killer.

“We don’t have a motive but are investigating it from a robbery standpoint,” said David Marzullo, of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department. “We have no evidence that she knew [the gunman].”

Boken was talking to her mother on her cell phone around the time of the shooting; according to her mother, the phone “went static” and they were cut off. When Boken didn’t show up at the game, those who had expected her became worried and organized a search. She was later found in her Volkswagen with wounds to her neck and chest, and was taken to a local hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

“I think everybody was in a frantic mode wondering where she was. Parents were out combing the neighborhoods,” St. Louis University coach Ann Kourdes said.

Police have been scanning surveillance tapes from the area and believe their suspect is a black male in his 20’s, between 5’8″ and 5’10”. He was wearing a charcoal grey shirt, khaki pants, a baseball cap, and white tennis shoes.

Image credit: Charles Cherney, Chicago Tribune