On the night of December 28, 2018, a tragic series of events unfolded in a quiet neighborhood in Saint Charles, Missouri, claiming the lives of four family members. Jonathan Douglas Kasten, a 10-year-old male, was at home on the 100 block of Whetstone Drive with his younger sister, Zoe, his mother, Kate, and his grandmother, Jane Moeckel. The family had already endured significant loss, as Jonathan and Zoe’s father had passed away from cancer just the previous year.
The household had recently expanded to include Richard 'Darren' Emery, Kate’s 46-year-old boyfriend, who had moved into the residence.
Around 11:55 p.m., the calm of the evening was shattered when Jonathan’s grandmother, Jane Moeckel, placed a frantic 911 call. Dispatchers heard the sounds of gunshots before the line went silent. When law enforcement officers arrived at the scene, they discovered a horrific sight. Jonathan, his 8-year-old sister Zoe, and his grandmother were all found deceased inside the home, having suffered fatal gunshot wounds. Jonathan’s mother, Kate Kasten, was discovered critically injured in the master bedroom. She was rushed to a nearby hospital but succumbed to her injuries shortly after arrival, leaving no survivors from the home.
The suspect, Richard Emery, fled the residence in his pickup truck as police arrived. What followed was a violent spree across the area. Emery engaged in a shootout with responding officers, firing multiple rounds that struck a police cruiser, though the officers inside were not physically harmed. After abandoning his vehicle, he attempted to carjack a female motorist nearby. During this confrontation, he stabbed the woman seven times before fleeing on foot. The woman survived the attack. A manhunt ensued throughout the night, eventually ending around 7:30 a.m. the following morning when police located Emery bleeding from gunshot wounds in the restroom of a QuikTrip convenience store.
Emery was taken into custody and subsequently charged with 15 felonies, including four counts of first-degree murder, armed criminal action, and assault. During his trial in the fall of 2022, defense attorneys argued that Emery suffered from a mental health disorder and was in a dissociated state during the killings. Prosecutors countered this by highlighting his calculated actions during his escape, including the shootout and attempted carjacking. In October 2022, a jury found him guilty on all counts. Following the jury's recommendation, a judge formally sentenced Emery to death for the murders of Jonathan and his family in November 2022. He additionally received a sentence of over 200 years for the associated crimes of assault and robbery. Emery continues to appeal the death sentence, with legal proceedings extending into 2025.
