ST. LOUIS, MO  (August 28, 2026) — Mario Lee, 48, was sentenced Friday to 40 years in prison for the fatal shooting of 34-year-old Candace Horskins inside a home in the City’s Wells-Goodfellow neighborhood.

A St. Louis jury found Lee guilty in May of involuntary manslaughter, armed criminal action, and unlawful possession of a firearm in connection with Horskins’ homicide on Dec. 21, 2023.

On the evening of the shooting, officers responded to the 5800 block of Kennerly Avenue and found Horskins suffering from a gunshot wound. She was later pronounced deceased. Investigators learned that a resident returned home that evening and discovered Lee and Horskins inside her residence without permission. The resident, who knew Lee well, testified that she heard a gunshot from upstairs. Lee then came downstairs, told her Horskins was dead, and fled the residence. Ring doorbell footage introduced at trial corroborated the witness’s account.

“No sentence can restore what was taken from Candace Horskins or erase the loss experienced by those who loved her,” said Circuit Attorney Gabe Gore. “What our office can do is pursue each case with purpose, present the evidence to a jury and advocate for a sentence that attempts to account for the gravity of that loss.”

Lee has five prior felony convictions, including possession of a controlled substance, unlawful use of a weapon, and stealing a motor vehicle.

Chief of Homicide Tanja Engelhardt and Assistant Circuit Attorneys Andrew Costello and Blake Harting prosecuted the case.

The defendant’s case number is 2622-CR00337-01.