Prominent St. Louis attorney says prosecutors cut ‘sweetheart deal’ in brother’s murder case

ST. LOUIS (First Alert 4) -- A man charged in the shooting death of a man outside a St. Louis gas station accepted a plea deal to spend seven years in prison on Tuesday. The incident happened at Crown Food Mart on Kingshighway in North City in June 2024.

Trevell Warren, 32, pleaded guilty to charges of involuntary manslaughter and unlawful possession of a firearm in connection with the fatal shooting of 51-year-old John Christmas on June 2, 2024.

The shooting took place outside of the Crown Food Mart in the 1400 block of North Kingshighway where Christmas was arguing with the store clerk. According to the St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office, Warren approached Christmas from behind and grabbed the visible pistol in Christmas’s waistband and a struggle ensued. During the struggle, the two fell to the ground, and the gun went off. Warren fled the area.

Warren’s defense said it was an accidental shooting.

The victim’s brother, attorney Jerryl Christmas, said the plea deal is the direct result of the St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office hiring attorneys scared to go to trial.

“It’s ludicrous because they make it out like he’s a Good Samaritan, coming up to intervene. He’s not.” Christmas said.

The prosecution said the plea deal was fair based on evidence.

“The Circuit Attorney’s Office is sending a message that if you shoot somebody on the city’s north side, you can get a plea deal,” Christmas said outside the Civil Courts building in downtown St. Louis Tuesday.

He said his family was left in the dark about a compromise getting hashed out behind the scenes.

”No, we weren’t notified at all,” Christmas shared. “We didn’t get any notification until 24 hours before they were getting ready to do the plea deal.”

The case was prosecuted by Assistant Circuit Attorney Timothy Wright. He said in court Tuesday that the Circuit Attorney’s Office goes through a thorough process reviewing cases and making decisions with a committee with more than 106 years of prosecution experience. He said everything was vetted out and that this plea was the best they could come up with.

First Alert 4 Investigates asked Wright to speak on camera Tuesday. He said he wasn’t allowed but would encourage someone with the office to respond to our requests for comment.

The Circuit Attorney’s Office later released a statement Tuesday:

“We extend our deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of Mr. Christmas,” said St. Louis Circuit Attorney Gabe Gore. “We understand the immense pain this tragedy has caused Mr. Christmas’s family. Based on conversations with Mr. Christmas’s family, we understand that they would have liked to have seen Mr. Warren receive a longer sentence. Resolving cases such as this with plea agreements is a difficult but necessary part of our work. The plea agreement reached in this case was based on information gathered during the ongoing investigation and after careful review by the most senior of our trial staff. Based on the facts and law, the plea agreement was an appropriate resolution of this case.”

According to court records, Warren served prison time for felonies in the past and was charged in April 2024 for two counts of illegal possession of a gun. Warren was released on bond and given a GPS monitor.

Records show four reported bond violations stemming from the GPS monitor in May 2024. He also missed a court date. First Alert Investigates reported May 31 that Judge Catherine Dierker released him on bond with a GPS ankle bracelet.

The Circuit Attorney’s Office did not contest his release. Two days later, police said Warren killed Christmas, which is why his brother on Tuesday said the Circuit Attorney’s Office is a contributing factor in his death.

”If Kim Gardner had done the same thing, same situation with a white victim, all hell would be breaking loose right now,” Christmas said.

Christmas said the Circuit Attorney’s Office doesn’t have a concern for black victims and their families and newer hires of the office are scared to go to trial.

AMELOTTI: You’re saying don’t think that the people that Gabe Gore has been bringing in the office in the last 18 months or so are qualified?

CHRISTMAS: That’s why you have pleas going up. Because they don’t want to take the stuff to trial, they are not trial attorneys. And you need to be a trial attorney if you’re going to be in the prosecutor’s office.

As for what’s next for the Christmas family, Jerryl said he will be filing a civil suit against the gas station where his brother was killed.

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