Megan Boken: Saint Louis University volleyball star murdered in her car

By Lena Sullivan 08/19/2012 20:28:00

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Deadly homecoming: Megan Boken, 23, was killed after she returned to Saint Louis University for an alumnae volleyball game

A former college volleyball star was gunned down at close range in her car when she returned to her old school for an alumnae game.

The murder of Megan Boken, 23, has left stunned friends and teammates at Saint Louis University in Missouri wondering -- was she targeted? Police have not said whether she knew her attacker.

Witnesses said Miss Boken was seen arguing with the man who shot her in the chest and neck and that he may have gotten out of her car before violence erupted. However her family insists she did not know the man.

Police suggested it may have been a botched robbery.

Brutal: Ms Boken's attacker opened her driver's side door and fired multiple times at close range -- hitting her in the neck and chest

After she graduated, Miss Boken moved back home to the quiet Chicago suburb of Wheaton, Illinois, where she worked for a financial adviser.

She returned to St Louis, which has the second-highest murder rate in the nation, this weekend to play alongside her college teammates in a game against the current players.

KPLR-TV reported that Miss Boken was found in her Volkswagen about 2pm on Saturday in the parking lot of an apartment building where she lived when she attended St Louis University.

She was rushed to the hospital with gunshot wounds to her chest and neck, but died on arrival.

Witnesses told police they saw Miss Boken and the man arguing and then watched as he opened the door of her car and fire several shots at very close range.

He than fled the scene.

Why? Police have said the murder may have been a botched robbery, though witnesses indicated she might have known her attacker

Witnesses described him as a thin black man in his mid-20s, about 5-foot-8 tall with short hair.

Police are hoping a review of surveillance cameras in the area will give them a better idea of what happened inside the car.

Miss Boken's family, meanwhile, has issued a statement saying she did not know her attacker.

'Megan was a wonderful and beautiful human being loved by everyone she met. The family and the community are devastated by this senseless tragedy,' they said in a statement to the St Louis Post-Dispatch.

'The initial reports that Megan knew her attacker are no longer believed to be true. The family asks that you keep Megan and them in your thoughts and prayers and respect their privacy at this time.'

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