KhamKhay Samatmanivong, 51, of Arnold has been charged with murder and seven other felonies for allegedly initiating an assault that led to the fatal shooting of a St. Louis man and the kidnapping of the victim’s girlfriend last year, according to court records.
Two St. Louis men also are facing eight felony charges in connection with the incident that began because the woman allegedly took money from Samatmanivong “under false pretenses,” court documents indicate.
The alleged murder and kidnapping happened on Thanksgiving, Nov. 23, 2017.
Earlier this month, on Aug. 2, Samatmanivong was charged in St. Louis Circuit Court with murder in the second degree, a class A felony; four counts of armed criminal action, an unclassified felony; kidnapping, a class A felony; burglary in the first degree, a class B felony; and robbery in the first degree, a class A felony, according to court records.
Two days later, Durrell Allen Anderson, 33, and Maurice Whitt, 36, both of St. Louis, were charged with the same eight felonies, court papers show.
On Nov. 23, Samatmanivong reportedly went to the home of Charles D. Keltz, 37, in the 7000 block of Minnesota Avenue. Keltz was found dead nearby in the 200 block of Quincy Street in the Carondelet neighborhood at about 7:30 p.m. that day, the probable-cause statement said.
A neighbor’s surveillance camera shows Samatmanivong making a phone call and being met by Anderson and Whitt. The three men waited outside the home, and when Keltz came out, they allegedly beat and kicked him, according to the report.
Then Whitt allegedly kicked in the front door to the residence, and at that point, Keltz was able to flee from his attackers. Keltz was pursued by Anderson, who was seen by witnesses chasing Keltz onto Quincy Street. Anderson is believed to be the man who shot Keltz, the report said.
At the home, Whitt found the woman hiding in a closet, where she had retreated when she heard yelling from outside. Whitt allegedly dragged the woman outside by her hair, according to the report.
Samatmanivong allegedly told his two associates to put the woman into his car and told the woman they were going to kill her. The woman was able to escape the vehicle when it drove by Red’s Eighth Inning Bar, about a half mile from the Minnesota Avenue residence, and she ran into the bar seeking help, the report said.
Samatmanivong told authorities that he was upset with the woman because he had given her money but she “had not done what she promised to do.” He said he went to the home to get his money back and called Anderson and Whitt to help him, the report said.
Samatmanivong also said he had the woman put in his car, and he said he “did not mean for anyone to be killed,” according to the report.
Whitt told authorities Samatmanivong had called him and Anderson to help him get money back from the woman, the report said.
Whitt has seven prior drug convictions and was convicted for unlawful possession of a firearm and resisting arrest, court records show.
Anderson has prior assault, tampering, burglary, stealing, property damage, resisting arrest and drug charges, according to court records.
A class A felony carries a maximum sentence of life in prison, and a class B felony is punishable by up to 15 years in prison.