ST. LOUIS – A Florissant man was sentenced in court Friday in connection with the murder of a man in 2020.

46-year-old Michael Penton was found guilty last month on charges of second-degree murder and armed criminal action. He was sentenced to 20 years.

Penton was accused of murdering Tommy Parnell, 47, in August 2020. Officers found Parnell shot to death near the sidewalk. According to authorities, Penton blocked Parnell in with his car, shot him and then pistol-whipped him.

Police later found blood inside Penton’s vehicle and a bullet that matched his .357 revolver.

The case had previously been tried in October 2023 but ended in a mistrial because the jury could not come to a verdict.

According to a release, Penton maintained his stance of being innocent, stating in a letter to the judge, “Mr. Parnell was a friend that I had no problems with…and despite the verdict, I would like to express the fact that I had absolutely no involvement in his death.”

The release stated that Penton has been confined for nearly three years, and will receive credit for jail time served.