ST. LOUIS, MO (June 27, 2025) — James Cody Jr., 30, was sentenced Friday to 35 years in prison for the 2022 murder of 72-year-old Michael Kelly, his girlfriend’s landlord. A St. Louis City jury previously found Cody guilty of second-degree murder and armed criminal action on May 23, 2025.

Cody received 25 years for second-degree murder and 10 years for armed criminal action. The charges stemmed from a fatal confrontation that unfolded amid an ongoing eviction dispute.

On March 8, 2022, Cody ambushed Mr. Kelly outside his office on the 3900 block of North 25th Street and shot him with an assault rifle. Evidence presented at trial showed that Cody had been threatening Mr. Kelly in the weeks leading up to the killing. Cody’s girlfriend, Deseray Rabb, had refused to leave the property on North 22nd Street despite a court-ordered eviction. Surveillance video and ballistic evidence linked Cody to the murder.

“A man lost his life in a senseless act of violence, and a family is left to grieve forever,” said Circuit Attorney Gabe Gore. “While no sentence can bring Mr. Kelly back, this verdict delivers a measure of justice and sends a clear message that gun violence will not be tolerated.”

Homicide Unit Chief Tanja Engelhardt and Assistant Circuit Attorneys Timothy Wright and Emily Price prosecuted the case.

Cody’s case number is 2322-CR01089.