ST. LOUIS, Mo. — The St. Louis community is mourning the death of 2-year-old Bre’yeon Wells, whose life was tragically cut short in what authorities have ruled a homicide.
On October 27, 2025, at approximately 10:40 p.m., St. Louis Metropolitan Police responded to a home in the 4900 block of Thekla Avenue after receiving a report of an unresponsive toddler. Bre’yeon was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead a short time later.
In the days following the incident, the medical examiner’s office determined that Bre’yeon’s body showed signs of strangulation and sexual assault, confirming suspicions of foul play. Police later revealed that the home where the call originated was not the child’s residence, and the adults who were present at the time were not his parents. Both individuals were questioned but released pending the ongoing investigation.
On October 30, investigators announced the arrest of 21-year-old Nicco Cotton, who turned himself in to police. According to court documents, Cotton admitted that he was the sole caregiver for Bre’yeon in the days leading up to the child’s death.
Cotton now faces multiple felony charges, including second-degree murder, child abuse or neglect resulting in death, first-degree sodomy or attempted sodomy, and statutory sodomy – deviate sexual intercourse.
Police continue to investigate the full circumstances surrounding Bre’yeon’s death and are urging anyone with information to contact the Homicide Division at 314-444-5371 or CrimeStoppers at 866-371-TIPS (8477) for anonymous tips.
Community members have expressed heartbreak and outrage over the case, calling for justice for Bre’yeon. A small memorial of candles and stuffed animals has since grown outside the home where the tragedy occurred.
“He was just a baby,” one neighbor said tearfully. “He didn’t deserve this. None of us can make sense of it.”