2 convicted of murdering man who took wrong turn in St. Louis

ST. LOUIS, Missouri (First Alert 4) – Two men were sentenced to prison in 2021 for killing a man the St. Louis District Attorney’s Office described as an innocent victim because he made a wrong turn near the Gateway Arch site.

St. Louis District Judge David A. Roither on Friday sentenced 19-year-old Jonathan Jones of Ferguson and 38-year-old Mark Perry of Florissant to prison terms of 22 years, 6 months and 35 years, respectively, for the September 2021 murder of 29-year-old Brandon Scott.

According to a press release from the 22nd District Court, a jury recommended a 22-year prison sentence for Jones, who was a minor at the time of the crime. Perry was not eligible for a jury recommendation because of his prior criminal record.

In July, a jury found both men guilty of second-degree murder in Scott's death. A trial for Jones was scheduled for April 2023, but was postponed when no one from then-District Attorney Kim Gardner's office showed up in court.

Jones is also charged with first-degree murder in connection with the fatal shooting of JaDun Byrd on March 22 in the 2400 block of Whittier Street. A trial date in that case has not yet been set.

Jones and Perry were passengers in an SUV that pulled up next to Scott's car when he accidentally turned the wrong way onto Fourth Street, according to the news release. Surveillance video showed the SUV's front and rear passenger windows open and Jones and Perry firing more than a dozen shots at Scott.

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