Festus, MO – A man from St. Louis has been charged with first-degree assault after prosecutors say he strangled a victim late last year in Festus.

Akeem Mitchell Silver, age 34, of St. Louis is accused of assaulting an individual identified as Victim 1 on or about Dec. 22, 2024, according to a criminal complaint filed by the Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office on August 29, 2025. Prosecutors allege Silver’s actions constituted a substantial step toward committing first-degree assault, a class B felony under Missouri law.

Due to his prior convictions, Silver is considered both a prior and persistent assault offender under state statute. Prosecutors say he qualifies for an enhanced sentence equivalent to a class A felony.

Court records show Silver was previously found guilty of two counts of second-degree domestic assault on Feb. 5, 2021, in the 23rd Judicial Circuit. One incident occurred on March 3, 2020, and the other on Dec. 31, 2019.

Paul Barnard Editor

Paul Barnard is the editor of the Twin City News. Barnard Graduated from Norwich University, America's oldest private military college, with a B.S. in Communications and Media Technology. There he studied journalism and marketing. For years after, Barnard was in law enforcement and gained experience in the Special Investigations Unit and publishing all the department's press releases. As Barnard's family grew, he moved on to start Twin City News.

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