St. Louis man found guilty of 2022 fatal shooting of Hyde Park landlord

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (First Alert 4) - A St. Louis man has been found guilty of shooting and killing his girlfriend’s landlord in 2022 during an eviction dispute.

James Cody Jr., 30, was found guilty of second-degree murder and armed criminal action by a jury on Friday. The conviction is in connection with the death of Michael Kelly, 72, in the 3900 block of North 25th Street in the City’s Hyde Park neighborhood on March 8, 2022.

According to court documents, Kelly was the landlord of a building on the 4000 block of North 22nd Street, where Cody’s girlfriend, Deseray Rabb, lived. Documents say Kelly and Rabb were in a long-standing dispute, saying Rabb stopped paying rent and would not leave, despite a court-ordered eviction.

Documents say that Cody began to threaten Kelly throughout the court process; Cody was not listed on the lease, but is the father of Rabb’s three children.

Surveillance video shows that on March 8, 2022, Cody followed Kelly as he drove to his office, and when Kelly parked, Cody approached the car and shot Kelly with a rifle, killing him. A Nissan Sentra that Rabb had rented was spotted in the area of the shooting and was later found by police. The car had bullet holes that were covered by duct tape.

Cody was arrested days later.

Deseray Rabb was charged with accessory to first-degree murder and accessory to armed criminal action. The jury acquitted her.

The jury recommended a sentence of 25 years for second-degree murder and 10 years for armed criminal action. Cody’s sentencing is scheduled for June 27, 2025.