ST. LOUIS – A Flordell Hills man appeared in St. Louis Circuit Court to plead guilty to a fatal shooting in the city’s Baden neighborhood.
The shooting happened on Sept. 24, 2022, in the 8500 block of Church Drive.
St. Louis police and prosecutors said Stefhon M. Hawkins, 28, fatally wounded his cousin’s fiancé during an argument. The victim, Ryan Thompson, ran after being shot and was later found dead in a nearby alley. Thompson was 33.
Hawkins was initially charged with first-degree murder and armed criminal action. With a jury trial scheduled to start this week, Hawkins reached a plea agreement with the St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office.
In exchange for a guilty plea, prosecutors agreed to waive the armed criminal action charge and reduce the murder charge from first to second-degree.
After accepting the plea deal, the circuit court judge overseeing the case sentenced Hawkins to 18 years in state prison.
Hawkins will receive credit for nearly 22 months of jail time already served.
CORRECTION: Hawkins had faced a jury trial, not a bench trial.