Accused rapist’s sister tries to bribe witness, then he’s killed, MO cops say
The sister of a man accused of rape showed up at a witnesses’ home with a bribe, Missouri police said. He refused and was fatally shot weeks later, according to officials.
Lavonda Harmon of Houston, Texas, went to the Ferguson home on May 29, after her brother, Lavor Harmon, was charged with statutory rape, according to court documents.
She, along with a man who has not been identified, approached the father and offered him $12,000 to stay out of the prosecution of her brother, according to the complaint.
The victim’s father initially reported the rape that occurred on March 29 to police, Ferguson police said in a criminal complaint.
The man refused the money, according to police. Weeks later, on July 8, the dad was shot and killed at his home, per court documents. McClatchy News is not identifying the man killed to protect the identity of his minor daughter.
Lavor Harmon was previously accused of exchanging phone numbers with a 15-year-old girl in March after meeting her ”when she was walking home from the school bus,” according to court documents obtained by KSDK. They later met up, and Lavor Harmon took her shopping, then to a home where he raped her, officials told the news outlet.
In June, Lavor Harmon was indicted by a grand jury in St. Louis County on one count of statutory rape and three counts of statutory sodomy, according to court documents. His attorney did not immediately respond to McClatchy News’ request for comment on July 16.
Lavonda Harmon was charged with tampering with a witness in a felony prosecution.
Her attorney information was not listed.
A judge set her bond at $100,000 during a July 15 hearing, court records said.
Police are still searching for the man accused of shooting and killing the rape victim’s father. He was between 20 and 30 years old and fled the scene in a white SUV, KMOV reported.
Ferguson is about a 12-mile drive northwest from downtown St. Louis.
This story was originally published July 17, 2025 at 9:37 AM with the headline "Accused rapist’s sister tries to bribe witness, then he’s killed, MO cops say."
