On November 23, 2017, a violent confrontation occurred in the Carondelet neighborhood of St. Louis, Missouri, resulting in the death of 37-year-old male Charles D. Keltz. The incident stemmed from a dispute involving a man named Khamkhay Samatmanivong, who had developed an infatuation with Keltz’s girlfriend. Earlier that day, Samatmanivong had met the woman at a gas station, purchased items for her, and given her cash with the expectation that she would enter a relationship with him.
When she did not reciprocate and returned to the apartment she shared with Keltz, Samatmanivong became angry and sought to reclaim the money he had given her.
Later that evening, Samatmanivong drove to the couple’s residence on the 7000 block of Minnesota Avenue, accompanied by two associates, Durrell Anderson and Maurice Whitt. When they arrived, Keltz exited the apartment and informed the men that his girlfriend was not present. This denial reportedly triggered a violent response from the group. Anderson and Whitt attacked Keltz, beating him before chasing him as he attempted to flee. During the pursuit, Keltz was fatally shot. His body was later discovered nearby in the 200 block of Quincy Street.
Following the shooting, the assailants forced their way into the apartment where they found the woman hiding in a closet. Whitt dragged her out by her hair, and she was forced into Samatmanivong’s vehicle under the threat of death. As the convoy of vehicles slowed in traffic near a bar on Michigan Avenue, the woman seized the opportunity to escape, jumping from the car and running into the establishment for safety.
The investigation led to the arrest of all three men involved in the ambush. In 2023, Durrell Anderson pleaded guilty to charges of second-degree murder, armed criminal action, and kidnapping, receiving an 18-year prison sentence. Khamkhay Samatmanivong faced a jury trial in August 2024, where he was convicted of second-degree murder, first-degree burglary, first-degree robbery, and three counts of armed criminal action. In November 2024, a judge sentenced him to 20 years in prison. As of late 2024, Maurice Whitt was still awaiting trial for his role in the homicide, which prosecutors alleged included firing the fatal shots.
