A St. Louis judge has handed down a 25-year prison sentence to Jeffrey Leslie, 47, for his involvement in a fatal 2023 botched robbery attempt that resulted in the death of his accomplice, according to an official statement from the Circuit Attorney’s Office. The incident, which occurred in Hyde Park, tragically unfolded on Destrehan Street when Leslie, alongside Izel Nash and the now-deceased Alonzo Verzell Jones, endeavored to rob a returning resident in an apartment complex parking lot. The confrontation quickly spiraled into an exchange of gunfire.
The trial revealed the victim managed to effectively defend himself during the ambush, fatally shooting Jones and sustaining a nonfatal injury himself. Post-shooting, Leslie and Nash reportedly attempted to quickly retrieve Jones’s body and his firearm before hastily departing in a Jeep Grand Cherokee. Faced with the weight of their actions, Leslie has now been convicted, as of February, of second-degree felony murder, first-degree assault, armed criminal action, and attempted robbery, the Circuit Attorney’s Office reported.
“This case underscores the devastating impact of reckless decisions and violent actions,” Circuit Attorney Gabe Gore articulated in the wake of the sentencing. “While no sentence can undo the harm that was done, it is essential that those who inflict such violence face significant consequences. Our office will continue to seek accountability on behalf of victims and their families,” as mentioned on the Circuit Attorney’s Office website…