Derrick Smith, 41, was sentenced to life in prison plus 10 years for the 2024 fatal shooting of his girlfriend, Norma Reano, in St. Louis’s Dutchtown neighborhood.

ST. LOUIS, MO (October 16, 2025) — A judge sentenced Jeffrey Leslie, 47, to 25 years in prison on Thursday for his role in a botched robbery and shooting that left an accomplice, 35-year-old Alonzo Verzell Jones, dead on May 6, 2023, in the 1500 block of Destrehan Street, in the City’s Hyde Park neighborhood. A St. Louis jury convicted Leslie in February of second-degree felony murder, first-degree assault, three counts of armed criminal action, and attempted robbery. Evidence at trial showed that Leslie, along with accomplices Izel Nash and Jones, ambushed and attempted to rob the victim in the parking lot of an apartment complex, after waiting for the victim to return home. After the ambush was sprung, the victim defended himself, exchanging gunfire with Nash and Jones. Jones died from a gunshot wound to the chest. Investigators determined that after Jones was shot, Leslie and Nash tried to retrieve his body, took his firearm, and fled the scene in a Jeep Grand Cherokee. The victim of the attempted robbery suffered a nonfatal gunshot wound and was taken to the hospital by a family member. “This case underscores the devastating impact of reckless decisions and violent actions,” said Circuit Attorney Gabe Gore. “While no sentence can undo the harm that was done, it is essential that those who inflict such violence face significant consequences. Our office will continue to seek accountability on behalf of victims and their families.” Leslie has prior convictions for drug and weapons offenses and will serve his 25-year sentence in the Missouri Department of Corrections. Violent Crime Unit Supervisor Adam Field and Assistant Circuit Attorney Andrew Costello prosecuted the case. Leslie’s case number is 2322-CR01266-01. Nash, 31, pleaded guilty on Sept. 30, 2024, to second-degree murder and received an 18-year sentence. His case number is 2322-CR01267-01.