Two teens arrested in Phelps County for the murder of another teen

Two teenagers at the Great Circle Behavioral Services in Saint James have been charged with murdering a 15-year-old fellow patient. According to officials, 17-year-old Cody Armistead, 18-year old Enoch Phillips, and the 15-year-old victim ran away from a behavioral health facility on Wednesday. On Thursday, both Armistead and Phillips returned to the facility without the 15-year-old. The charging document said, Armistead confided in two other patients that he and Phillips killed the 15-year-old. This information was brought to law enforcement who began investigating the 15-year old’s death. Friday, Armistead told officers that Phillips had strangled the 15-year-old to death. He then showed officers where the 15-year-old’s body was located in the 600 block of Meramec Street in St. James. Officials say both Armistead and Phillips took turns strangling the 15-year-old until he died. Phillips said they continued punching and kicking the teen after he died. Armistead and Phillips were arrested on Friday and have been charged with first-degree murder for the death of the 15-year-old. Both teens have a hearing scheduled for Sept. 22 in the Phelps County Courthouse.