ST. LOUIS, MO  (October 22, 2026) — Kelvin Williams, 40, was sentenced Thursday to 18 years in prison for involuntary manslaughter, first-degree attempted robbery, two counts of armed criminal action, and unlawful possession of a firearm in connection with an August 2025 attempted armed robbery in the City's Penrose neighborhood that resulted in the death of his accomplice, a 41-year-old man.

On August 12, 2025, Williams and his accomplice approached a 52-year-old man outside his residence in the 4900 block of San Francisco Avenue after emerging from a nearby vacant house. Both Williams and his accomplice were armed with handguns and attempted to rob the man. The man fired at them, striking the accomplice multiple times. The accomplice was transported to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The intended robbery victim identified Williams as one of the men involved and provided investigators with his cellphone information. Investigators obtained cellphone location data that placed Williams in the area at the time of the incident. Williams admitted to investigators that he and his accomplice went to the residence intending to rob the man. He also acknowledged being armed with a handgun during the incident.

“We will continue to aggressively prosecute those who use firearms to commit violent crimes in our city,” said Circuit Attorney Gabe Gore. “Our commitment is to make St. Louis safer by holding violent offenders accountable and preventing further harm to our communities.”

Williams has prior felony convictions for burglary, attempted burglary, and distribution of a controlled substance.

Violent Crime Unit Deputy Supervisor Grant Simon and Assistant Circuit Attorney Emily K. Price prosecuted the case.

The defendant’s case number is 2522-CR02740-01.