ST. LOUIS, MO (June 23, 2025) — Nathan Kehn, 20, pled guilty Monday to second-degree murder, armed criminal action, and first-degree robbery and was sentenced to 20 years in prison for the violent attack on 52-year-old Tyrone Venney on January 1, 2024, in the City’s Midtown neighborhood.

At approximately 6:50 p.m. on New Year’s Day, police found Venney unresponsive in a parking lot on the 800 block of North Jefferson. He had suffered a traumatic brain injury, spinal cord damage, and severe lacerations. He never regained the ability to speak and remained permanently impaired until his death five months later in a long-term care facility.

Surveillance video and eyewitness accounts identified Kehn and co-defendant Brandon Leachman, 22, as the assailants. Kehn was found wearing bloodstained shoes and made unsolicited statements to police, admitting his involvement. In a recorded interview, Kehn detailed a sustained beating that included stomping on Venney’s head, breaking a bottle over his skull, urinating on him, and stealing his wallet. He also admitted to using the stolen money to buy marijuana.

“This was a vicious and deliberate act of violence that ultimately cost a man his life,” said Circuit Attorney Gabe Gore. “Kehn’s actions were cruel, inexcusable, and caused irreversible harm. This sentence holds the defendant accountable for the suffering endured and the life lost.”

Violent Crime Unit Supervisor Adam Field prosecuted the case.

Kehn’s case number is 2422-CR00016-01. Leachman’s case number is 2422-CR00017-01.