In the Tower Grove East neighborhood of St. Louis, Missouri, on November 10, 2020, a 23-year-old woman named Monay V. Phillips was found inside a car, having been fatally shot. The incident occurred around 10:12 a.m. in the 3100 block of Arsenal Street, the same block where Phillips resided. When St. Louis police officers arrived at the scene following reports of a shooting, they discovered Phillips, who was pronounced dead.
An investigation was promptly launched by homicide detectives,
and a suspect, identified as 23-year-old Kristopher Burns-Jackson, was taken into custody at the scene. It was later revealed that Burns-Jackson was Phillips' boyfriend and also lived on the same block. The shooting reportedly occurred during an argument between the couple inside the vehicle.
Following his arrest, the St. Louis Circuit Attorney's Office charged Burns-Jackson with one count of first-degree murder and one count of armed criminal action. However, in a subsequent development, Burns-Jackson entered into a plea agreement with prosecutors. He pleaded guilty to the reduced charges of second-degree murder and armed criminal action, admitting that he had killed Phillips.
On January 26, 2023, Kristopher Burns-Jackson, then 25, was sentenced for the killing of Monay Phillips. A circuit judge sentenced him to a total of 15 years in prison, which consisted of a 12-year sentence for second-degree murder and a consecutive three-year sentence for armed criminal action. During the sentencing, Phillips' relatives had the opportunity to speak in court, describing her as a loving and selfless individual who had been studying criminal justice with aspirations of becoming a police officer. Burns-Jackson also offered an apology to her family.
