Man, 21, pleads guilty after trial starts in Wichita teen’s 2018 shooting death
A 21-year-old man on trial in Sedgwick County District Court this week has pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and other crimes for his role in a deadly shooting that killed a Wichita teenager in the 900 block of South Pineridge, near Lincoln and Edgemoor, on Feb. 11, 2018.
Authorities say J’Arim St. Louis was among armed intruders who fought with 18-year-old Donte Devore after Devore answered a knock on his door that night. The intruders robbed Devore of marijuana and money during the confrontation and then shot him multiple times while members of his family were inside of the home, according to court records. Devore died at Wesley Medical Center.
St. Louis had been on trial since Monday for first-degree felony murder and other charges in connection with the murder case and a July 22, 2018, escape attempt from Sedgwick County’s Juvenile Detention Facility. In the escape case, prosecutors alleged he lured and beat a corrections officer to create a diversion so other teens could climb into the ceiling and get away, court records show.
St. Louis changed his not-guilty plea on Thursday.
Because St. Louis was a minor when Devore was killed, he was initially charged in juvenile court. But prosecutors sought successfully to charge him as an adult.
St. Louis will be sentenced June 7 before Sedgwick County District Judge Bruce Brown on one count each of second-degree intentional murder, aggravated robbery, aggravated burglary, aggravated battery and four counts of aggravated assault, according to Dan Dillon, a spokesman for the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office.
His co-defendants are also awaiting resolution of their cases.
Deizmond C. Peters, 24, is scheduled for sentencing May 4. He was convicted at his March trial of eight counts, including first-degree felony murder, aggravated robbery, aggravated burglary, criminal possession of a weapon by a felon and multiple counts of aggravated assault
Lascottric Yarbrough, 23, is scheduled for trial May 23. He is charged with eight crimes, including first-degree felony murder, aggravated robbery and aggravated assault.
Another person whose case is being adjudicated in juvenile court because he was a minor at the time of the killing is scheduled for sentencing on June 1 on one count of aggravated robbery, according to court records.
This story was originally published April 22, 2022 at 11:28 AM.
