In connection with a fatal New Year’s Day incident, 21-year-old Branden Leachman has been sentenced to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to charges related to the death of 52-year-old Tyrone Venney. The attack took place in St. Louis’s Midtown neighborhood and was partially recorded on cellphone video. According to the Circuit Attorney’s Office, footage from Leachman’s own device showed him assaulting Venney and issuing threats against his life.
Police responded to the 800 block of North Jefferson on the evening of the incident, where they found Tyrone Venney in critical condition with serious injuries and symptoms of hypothermia due to prolonged exposure to the cold. Venney was hospitalized and later transferred to a long-term care facility, but was unable to communicate as a result of the injuries and died five months later. Video evidence, along with witness accounts and surveillance footage, led authorities to quickly arrest Branden Leachman and Nathan Kehn, both of whom were implicated in the assault.
“What happened to Mr. Venney was a merciless attack that stripped a man of his dignity, his voice, and eventually, his life,” said Circuit Attorney Gabe Gore. As reported by the Circuit Attorney’s Office, Gore also characterized the recorded footage as showing “a shocking level of cruelty and disregard for human life.”…