A disturbing case of violence that shook the City's Midtown neighborhood on New Year's Day last year has come to a close in the judicial system. Nathan Kehn, a 20-year-old, entered a plea of guilty to second-degree murder, armed criminal action, and first-degree robbery on Monday in connection with the deadly beating and robbery of 52-year-old Tyrone Venney, according to details from a press release by the Circuit Attorney's Office. Kehn received a sentence to serve 20 years behind bars.
The incident, which unfolded around 6:50 p.m. on January 1, 2024, left Venney in a dire state in a parking lot on the 800 block of North Jefferson. Police arriving at the scene discovered him unresponsive, with injuries severe enough to prevent him from ever regaining speech. Injuries mentioned to include a traumatic brain injury and spinal cord damage. After struggling with these impairments, Venney succumbed to his injuries five months later in a long-term care facility. Attempts to fully restore the man's life were split by the tragic and irreversible nature of the assault.
The Circuit Attorney's Office's report further stated that the investigation involved surveillance footage and eyewitness accounts. These pointed towards Nathan Kehn and his co-defendant, 22-year-old Brandon Leachman, as the responsible parties. Evidence against Kehn included not only bloodstained shoes but also his unsolicited statements to the police, wherein he admitted to his participation in the crime. It was during a recorded interview that Kehn described the brutal attack, which involved him stomping on Venney's head, breaking a bottle over his head, urinating on the victim, and stealing his wallet to later use stolen money to allegedly purchase marijuana.
Describing the incident, Circuit Attorney Gabe Gore said, "This was a vicious and deliberate act of violence that ultimately cost a man his life." Circuit Attorney Gore further characterized Kehn's actions as "cruel, inexcusable, and caused irreversible harm," emphasizing the accountability represented by the 20-year sentence handed down. The Violent Crime Unit Supervisor Adam Field was the prosecutor on the case, as reported by the Circuit Attorney's Office.
