ST. LOUIS – A St. Louis man appeared in St. Louis Circuit Court on Monday to plead guilty to a 2020 murder and was immediately sentenced for the crime.
Tevin Collins, 22, was weeks away from going to trial for the shooting death of Ezell Johnson III. The jury trial was scheduled to start on Dec. 4.
Johnson was seated in a car in the 4200 block of East Ashland Avenue on Oct. 22, 2020, when Collins approached the vehicle’s passenger side and shot Johnson several times. Johnson was 19.
Collins was initially charged with first-degree murder. However, the St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office agreed to reduce the murder charge to second-degree in exchange for a guilty plea. Collins agreed and pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and armed criminal action.
Judge Madeline Connolly accepted Collins’ plea and the terms of the agreement. She sentenced Collins to 15 years in prison for the murder charge and three years for armed criminal action. Those sentences will be served consecutively. Collins will receive credit for more than three years of time served while awaiting trial.
