St. Louis Man Douglas Shelton-Herron Sentenced to 40 Years for Murder of Florissant Woman Lekeshia Stokes

Today, Douglas Shelton-Herron, a resident of St. Louis County, received a 40-year jail term for killing Lekeshia Stokes, 39. According to the St. Louis City Circuit Court, Stokes was shot following a minor auto accident in the Baden neighborhood in February of last year.

Shelton-Herron was found guilty on September 26 of second-degree murder and armed criminal action. St. Louis Circuit Judge Bryan Hettenbach sentenced him to 30 years in prison for the murder and 10 years in prison for the armed action. Stokes sideswiped his Jaguar car and then collided with another parked car. The violent altercation then intensified, with Shelton-Herron firing a total of 12 rounds from a short-barrel semiautomatic rifle, an act of violence that was caught on a nearby surveillance system.

Despite the seriousness of the altercation, the jury found Shelton-Herron guilty of the lesser charge of first-degree murder, even though the prosecution had originally sought a conviction for the crime. Two other men were also implicated in the incident, according to the St. Louis City Circuit Court account. In April, Corey Evans, 21, and Thomas L. Shelton, 25, reached plea agreements with the prosecution and pled guilty to armed criminal action and voluntary manslaughter, respectively, receiving 10-year prison sentences.

As Stokes’ family members conveyed their profound sorrow at her passing, the courtroom was a hive of emotion. The victim’s sister Sharniece Stokes described the challenges of raising the four children left behind, saying, “It’s hard every day.” The family’s suffering goes well beyond the actual crime because they must now prepare for life without Lekeshia. According to the St. Louis City Circuit Court, Shelton-Herron expressed regret for his behavior and apologized to the Stokes family.

The official court documents include more details about the case; Shelton-Herron’s case number is 2222-CR00252-01, Evans’ is 2222-CR00287-01, and Shelton’s is 2222-CR00253-01.

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