A tense St. Louis courtroom watched Wednesday as a judge handed a 15-year prison sentence to a man who admitted his role in a 2024 Midtown drive-by shooting that killed 19-year-old Eddie Randle Jr. and wounded three others. The hearing marked the latest chapter in a long-running prosecution that began with arrests in 2024 and drew an emotional response from Randle’s family, who came to see the case finally reach a plea and a prison term.
Sentencing and plea deal
Jordan D. Huddlen, 29, pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of second-degree murder and to armed criminal action under a plea agreement, according to court filings and local reporting. The judge accepted the deal Wednesday and imposed a 15-year sentence, an outcome that matched the negotiated recommendation, KMOV reported.
What happened in Midtown
The shooting happened around midnight on May 18, 2024, in the 3000 block of Olive Street, a commercial stretch just north of Harris-Stowe State University. Police said multiple shots were fired near a large gathering in a parking lot. Randle, 19, was inside a car that was hit, and three other people suffered gunshot wounds and were taken to area hospitals, according to police accounts and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch homicide tracker.
Other defendants and courtroom moments
Prosecutors said Huddlen was one of four people in a vehicle from which shots were fired at another car that night. Two other men charged in the case had already taken plea deals. Reporting notes that Kendrick M. Bobo pleaded guilty earlier this year to voluntary manslaughter and related counts and received a 12-year sentence, while Kevin Huddlen admitted to hindering prosecution and unlawful gun possession and was given a suspended four-year sentence and three years of probation.
During Wednesday’s hearing, Randle’s mother addressed the court, holding up a photo of her son as she spoke to the judge. She said she could not forgive the man who had just pleaded guilty, according to KSDK. The remarks underscored the lingering pain for the family even as the criminal case moves toward closure.
Legal takeaways
Prosecutors told reporters the plea helped resolve what they described as a complicated case involving multiple shooters, a vehicle crash and witnesses who recorded or posted video after the gunfire. With plea agreements and suspended terms now in place, none of the defendants will face a jury trial in this case, although defense motions or appeals remain possible. Local reporting has summarized the various charges and the resulting sentences reflected in court filings, and KMOV reviewed the court documents detailing the outcome.
Context and what’s next
The Midtown shooting that killed Randle was one of several high-profile overnight shootings reported in St. Louis during 2024 and 2025. The mix of felony charges and plea deals in this case reflects how prosecutors have sought convictions while steering away from lengthy, uncertain trials. Investigations into the broader circumstances remain active, and any new filings or post-conviction motions will surface in public court dockets, according to local coverage and court records. The 3000 block of Olive Street remains listed in public records and news timelines as the official scene of the crime.
