ST. LOUIS COUNTY, MO – October 7, 2026 (STL.News) St. Louis County Police are asking other potential victims to come forward as investigators continue examining allegations against former Lindbergh School District teacher and coach James Wilder III, who was charged last week with four felony sex-crime counts involving three former students.
The continuing investigation raises the possibility that additional alleged victims could be identified, although STL.News has not verified that a distinct fourth victim has been formally added to the case.
Wilder, 60, was charged Sept. 30 by the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office with three counts of second-degree statutory sodomy and one count of attempted first-degree statutory sodomy involving alleged deviant sexual intercourse with a person younger than 14.
The allegations involve three former students and alleged conduct dating from 1995 through 2008.
Wilder is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
Police ask other potential victims to come forward
The St. Louis County Police Department’s Cold Case Unit is continuing to investigate Wilder.
Authorities have specifically encouraged anyone who believes Wilder victimized them — or anyone who knows someone they believe may have been a victim — to contact St. Louis County Police.
The appeal matters because the renewed investigation has already led detectives to locate two additional women who made allegations against Wilder.
Those two alleged victims were discovered after investigators reopened an older case involving former Lindbergh student Emilie Morris.
Police have said there could be additional victims.
However, the public appeal for additional victims should not be interpreted as confirmation that police have already identified a fourth person.
As of publication, the verified criminal charges involve three alleged victims.
STL.News has not independently confirmed that prosecutors have amended the case to include a fourth alleged victim or filed an additional criminal charge involving another person.
Earlier STL.News report examined Wilder case
Wilder’s case was included in an STL.News investigation published earlier Wednesday, “Teacher Sex Crime Cases Put Focus on School Safety.”
The report examined multiple criminal cases involving current and former educators accused of sexual misconduct or child exploitation.
The STL.News report noted an important distinction in Wilder’s case: although the charges were filed in 2026, the alleged offenses occurred years or decades earlier.
The current allegations date from 1995 through 2008.
That means Wilder’s prosecution cannot accurately be counted as evidence that four alleged sex crimes involving a teacher occurred during 2026. Instead, it is a newly filed prosecution involving historical allegations.
Cold case reopened after Missouri law changed
The current prosecution grew out of allegations Emilie Morris originally made.
Morris alleged that Wilder sexually abused her when she was a teenager and he was her cross-country coach.
Authorities charged Wilder in 2013 with six counts of second-degree statutory sodomy involving Morris.
Morris died in 2014 before the case went to trial.
Prosecutors dismissed those charges in January 2015 because Morris could no longer testify.
Her case later became the subject of the Oxygen documentary “The Case Died With Her.”
A change in Missouri law that took effect in August 2026 provided investigators and prosecutors with a reason to revisit the case.
The change expanded the age applicable to certain out-of-court statements by children that may be admissible in criminal proceedings.
St. Louis County cold-case Detective John Bradley subsequently began reinvestigating Morris’ allegations.
According to prosecutors, Bradley interviewed people Morris might have spoken with about what allegedly happened, including former classmates, friends and family members.
During that investigation, authorities say Bradley located two additional alleged victims.
Those two women and Morris account for the three alleged victims identified in the current case.
Allegations span more than a decade
According to the probable cause statement, one former student who was younger than 17 alleged that Wilder engaged in sexual contact with her between April 1, 2007, and Nov. 6, 2008.
A second former student, who was younger than 14, alleged multiple acts of sexual contact between Aug. 1, 2005, and Dec. 1, 2006.
The third allegation concerns conduct between Aug. 1, 1995, and Sept. 21, 1996, involving a student who was younger than 17.
Authorities said Wilder was older than 21 at the time of the alleged offenses.
The allegations led to four felony charges filed Sept. 30.
Earlier 2008 allegation requires caution
There is another element of Wilder’s history that could create confusion about the number of alleged victims.
Previous reporting shows Wilder was arrested in 2008 after being accused of sexual contact with a minor.
No criminal charges resulted from that arrest.
That earlier allegation should not automatically be counted as evidence of a fourth victim in the current investigation.
One of the three alleged victims identified in the current probable cause statement reported alleged conduct occurring from April 2007 through Nov. 6, 2008.
Because that period overlaps the earlier investigation, the publicly available information reviewed by STL.News does not establish that the person involved in the 2008 allegation is a separate person from the three alleged victims underlying the current prosecution.
For that reason, STL.News is not reporting the 2008 allegation as a confirmed fourth victim.
Doing so without additional documentation could result in counting the same alleged victim twice.
Two additional accusers emerged from renewed investigation
What authorities have confirmed is significant on its own.
When investigators revisited Morris’ case, Detective Bradley located two additional former students who separately alleged sexual misconduct by Wilder.
The discovery expanded what began as a renewed investigation of Morris’ allegations into a criminal case involving three alleged victims.
During the Sept. 30 announcement, St. Louis County Police Lt. Col. Jerry Lohr emphasized that sexual-assault victims do not always report an alleged offense immediately.
Prosecuting Attorney Melissa Price Smith similarly said authorities would continue pursuing cases despite the passage of time.
The investigation remains open.
Wilder taught and coached at Lindbergh
Wilder taught physical education at Sperreng Middle School and coached girls cross-country and track at Lindbergh High School.
The St. Louis Call reported that Wilder taught at Sperreng from 1993 until 2013 and had also taught health and math at the middle school.
Lindbergh Schools said that after the latest charges were announced, Wilder was immediately removed following his 2013 arrest and has not been in a Lindbergh school since then.
His employment with the district ended in 2015.
The district said it was deeply troubled by the new charges and that procedures for preventing, training, identifying, and reporting inappropriate employee behavior have changed since Wilder worked for the district.
Wilder previously denied allegations
Wilder has previously denied wrongdoing.
During a 2020 interview with First Alert 4 connected to coverage of Morris’ case, Wilder disputed the allegations against him and denied accusations that there were other victims.
The reopened investigation subsequently identified two additional women who made allegations, according to prosecutors.
Those allegations remain unproven.
Criminal charges are accusations, and prosecutors must prove each charge beyond a reasonable doubt.
Investigation could expand
The central question now is whether the continuing cold-case investigation identifies anyone else.
Authorities have explicitly opened the door for other people to contact investigators.
That does not establish that a fourth victim exists. It does establish that police are continuing to look beyond the three alleged victims currently identified in the criminal case.
The distinction is particularly important when reporting allegations of sexual abuse.
So far, the verified numbers are three alleged victims and four felony charges.
If another person comes forward, investigators would have to evaluate that person’s allegations independently. Prosecutors would then determine whether the evidence supports additional criminal charges.
STL.News will continue monitoring the Wilder prosecution and will update its reporting if St. Louis County Police or prosecutors confirm another alleged victim or additional charges.
Anyone who believes they were victimized by Wilder, or who has information concerning another potential victim, is encouraged by authorities to contact the St. Louis County Police Department at 314-615-5400.
Editor’s note: Criminal charges are allegations. James Wilder III is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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