Caucasian male Jesse Emanuel Lopez, aged 24, was fatally shot on January 7, 2023, in the Soulard neighborhood of St. Louis, Missouri. The incident occurred during the early morning hours at a Conoco gas station located at 1314 Gravois Avenue. According to reports, the sequence of events began around 2:00 a.m. when Lopez allegedly attempted to steal a vehicle, identified in court documents as a Honda Pilot, which belonged to a 26-year-old man named Brett M.
Kress.
Surveillance footage from the gas station captured the confrontation, showing that as Lopez attempted to flee the scene, Kress pursued him on foot. During the chase, Kress discharged a firearm multiple times, striking Lopez three times. Lopez collapsed and was pronounced dead at the scene by responding emergency personnel. Following the shooting, Kress fled the area, driving his vehicle into Illinois before eventually returning to Missouri.
Investigating officers later located Kress's vehicle abandoned in a ditch in St. Charles County. Authorities tracked Kress to a nearby mobile home park, where he was discovered hiding in a shed and subsequently taken into custody. A second individual, Michael Bradley Murphy, was also identified by police as being present with Lopez during the attempted theft and faced charges related to tampering with a motor vehicle.
Legal proceedings against Brett Kress ensued shortly after his arrest. While initially facing charges of involuntary manslaughter, prosecutors later upgraded the charges to second-degree murder and armed criminal action. In June 2024, avoiding a scheduled trial, Kress reached a plea agreement with St. Louis prosecutors. He pleaded guilty to amended charges and was sentenced to 15 years in prison for his role in the death of Lopez.
