St. Louis Man Sentenced to 30 Years for Fatal Carjacking of Friend

ST. LOUIS, MO – In a brutal display of violence, Laveal David Jones, 25, of St. Louis, has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for fatally shooting his friend before stealing and burning his car. U.S. District Judge Ronnie L. White handed down the sentence on Tuesday, also ordering Jones to pay $9,074 to his victim’s family for funeral costs.

According to court documents, Jones and his victim drove from a night club in Sauget, Illinois to an area near the 3000 block of Walton Place in St. Louis on the morning of October 1, 2022. After dropping off a third person, Jones confronted the victim about money he believed he was owed, leading to a physical fight. Jones suffered a bloody nose before using the victim’s firearm to shoot the victim twice.

Jones left the victim’s body in the street, stripping him naked to avoid leaving behind evidence of his own blood. He then drove the victim’s 2015 Kia K900 sedan to West Missouri Avenue and North B Street in East St. Louis, where he set it on fire and walked away.

On October 17, 2022, St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officers spotted Jones in a different stolen Kia. He crashed the car and then fled on foot, discarding a pistol before he was caught.

Five of the victim’s relatives spoke out during Tuesday’s hearing, including his mother and sister, detailing the devastating impact of his death. Jones’ own history of violence and crime was also highlighted, including a 2016 incident in which he stole cash and a car from a pizza delivery driver by shocking him with a taser.

The murder occurred just three months after Jones was released from prison. He pleaded guilty in February to three felony counts: carjacking resulting in death, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and discharge of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence with death resulting. The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the FBI investigated the case, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Finlen prosecuting.

Jones’ sentence is part of the Department’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) program, which aims to reduce violent crime and gun violence by bringing together law enforcement and the communities they serve.