ST. LOUIS, MO  (September 26, 2025) — A judge sentenced James Blake, 24, on Friday to 21 years in the Missouri Department of Corrections for murdering and robbing 14-year-old Kathon Moore in broad daylight in the City’s West End neighborhood.

A jury convicted Blake in June of second-degree murder, second-degree robbery, and two counts of armed criminal action after a three-day trial.

Evidence showed that Blake and a co-defendant approached Moore as he rode his bicycle. When Moore offered to sell marijuana, the encounter turned violent. Surveillance video and eyewitness testimony revealed that Blake and his accomplice threw Moore to the ground. While Moore lay defenseless, Blake shot him once in the back of the head, killing him instantly. Blake and his accomplice stole Moore’s marijuana and a handgun before fleeing in a white sedan. Witnesses in a nearby apartment complex heard the gunshot and later helped police identify the suspects.

"Kathon Moore’s life mattered," said Circuit Attorney Gabe Gore. "Our office will never waver in holding violent offenders accountable and standing with the families devastated by senseless acts of violence."

Chief Trial Attorney Marvin O. Teer, Jr. and Assistant Circuit Attorneys Tim Wright and John Edwards prosecuted the case.

Blake’s case number is 2422-CR00710-01.