BELLEVILLE/EAST ST. LOUIS - In February 2011, Truman Smith was shot and killed in East St. Louis. Fourteen years and five months later, charges have been announced thanks in part to a few Southern Illinois University Edwardsville students.
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SIUE Criminal Justice students have teamed up with the Illinois State Police (ISP) to solve cold cases in the Metro East. As part of this program, students reviewed Smith’s death and worked with ISP Division of Criminal Investigation Zone 6 special agents to solve the case, which ultimately led to first-degree murder charges against 34-year-old Alan Davis of East St. Louis.
“We don’t realize sometimes that these cases don’t wrap up in 52 minutes like with a television show,” said ISP Director Brendan Kelly. “It is a long process. It is a complicated process, and there’s often times where things can seem hopeless, but you just have to stay after it and hope for a break. This is an example of that.”
During a press conference on July 22, 2025, at the Metro East Forensic Science Laboratory in Belleville, Kelly, SIUE Professor of Criminal Justice Studies Dr. Trish Oberweis, and SIUE graduate Ryleigh Franklin spoke about the importance of the program. In addition to advocating for charges against Davis, the SIUE and ISP partnership has also led to the identification of three missing women in the past year.
Jeanette Smith, Truman’s mother, also spoke at the press conference. She expressed her appreciation for the students and special agents who have worked on his case, but she emphasized that her pain continues.
“I want you to know that this does not make up for our loss, and it doesn’t give us closure,” she said. “When the case is over and justice made, then the case will be closed, but it will not be closure for us. But life goes on, and we’ll make it. We’ve made it 14 years and five months. We're going to make it.”
Jeanette added that she has called ISP every month since her son’s death to push for continued investigation into his murder.
“Before long, I won’t have to be calling every month,” she said. “For 14 years and five months, I’ve made that call. But they weren’t going to put him on a shelf and forget about him.”
Kelly noted that the SIUE and ISP partnership has been very successful so far, and he looks forward to welcoming the “next generation” of investigators into the workforce. He added that families like the Smiths are closer to receiving justice because of the work done by the students and the special agents.
“Every case is important. Every case has a victim,” Kelly said. “In addition to the experience that students gain and the growth of the future workforce, this partnership is providing ISP special agents with another resource to advance work on our own cases and bring closure and justice to victims and their families.”
Alan Davis is currently being held at the Graham Correctional Center in Hillsboro for an unrelated 2012 conviction.
The issuance of charges is based solely upon probable cause and is not an indication of guilt. All subjects charged with criminal offenses are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
