A man was sentenced to life in prison without parole for killing a police officer in St. Louis in 2020. Thomas Kinworthy Jr., 46, received two consecutive life sentences for first-degree murder and assault, along with additional years for burglary and other crimes.
Kinworthy was found guilty by a jury earlier this month for his role in the violence that led to the death of Officer Tamarris Bohannon, 29, as reported by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Bohannon, who had served with the police for 3 1/2 years and had a wife and three young children, responded to a call involving an armed man who had forced a family out of their home and barricaded himself inside. During the incident, Bohannon was fatally shot in the head and another officer was injured.
At the sentencing, Bohannon’s family members, including his parents, sister, wife, and children, expressed the profound impact of his death on their lives. His mother, Elizabeth Bohannon, lamented that her son should still be alive to enjoy life’s experiences.
Tiffany Bautista, Bohannon’s sister, recounted learning about her brother’s shooting shortly after giving birth to her first child. She described the emotional turmoil of having to plead with hospital officials to leave her newborn son to visit her brother in the hospital.
Kinworthy, while disputing the case, acknowledged the irreversible nature of Bohannon’s death and his sentence. He became agitated during the sentencing hearing when the prosecutor detailed his criminal history.
His defense attorney argued that Kinworthy was experiencing a psychotic episode on the day of the shooting and indicated plans to appeal for a retrial.