Arnold Man was convicted of murder in the Carondelet neighborhood in 2017

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (First Alert 4) – An Arnold man was sentenced Friday to two decades in prison for fatally shooting a man in the Carondelet neighborhood in 2017.

St. Louis County Judge Timothy Boyer sentenced 58-year-old Khamkay Samatmanivong to 20 years in prison after he was convicted in August of second-degree murder, first-degree burglary, first-degree robbery and armed criminal action in connection with the death of Charles was convicted by D. “Chuck” Keltz of St. Louis.

According to a news release from the 22nd Judicial District, members of the Keltz family called the victim's death unfair during the sentencing hearing. One of the victim's sisters said she could forgive the shooter, the other said she couldn't.

During the hearing, Samatmanivong said he was “sorry” for what happened. However, prosecutors argued that Samatmanivong said before the sentencing that he did not understand why he was still in custody and denied responsibility for the victim's death.

The fatal shooting occurred Nov. 23, 2017, in the 7000 block of Minnesota Avenue and stemmed from an argument involving Keltz's girlfriend accepting money from Samatmanivong “under false pretenses,” according to the news release.

Samatmanivong went to the victim's apartment to collect the money and then called two other men, Durrell Anderson and Maurice Whitt, to help. These people allegedly attacked Keltz's girlfriend and Whitt allegedly dragged her out of the apartment by her hair.

Samatmanivong then forced her into his car and told her she would be killed. Anderson and Whitt attacked Keltz and during the beating, Anderson fatally shot him, the release said.

Anderson was sentenced to 18 years in prison in 2023 after pleading guilty to second-degree murder, kidnapping and armed criminal action in the case.

Whitt's case is pending and no trial date has been set, according to court records.

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