A St. Louis man has been ordered to spend nearly two decades in state prison for a deadly 2022 shooting in the city’s Mount Pleasant neighborhood. James Rogers was sentenced Monday to a total of 19 years behind bars for the killing of 31-year-old Michael Wiott, after pleading guilty to voluntary manslaughter and armed criminal action. The court handed down a 15-year term for manslaughter, followed by a consecutive 4-year sentence for armed criminal action.
According to KSDK, Rogers had originally faced more severe counts of first-degree murder and armed criminal action. Prosecutors said the confrontation grew out of a meeting arranged to sell a tablet, as detailed in surveillance and charging documents that anchored the case.
Scene and Victim
The victim, identified as 31-year-old Michael Wiott, was found on August 15, 2022, behind a Conoco gas station near South Broadway and California Avenue, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch homicide tracker. Police records reviewed for the tracker show that Wiott, who lived in House Springs, had been shot multiple times at the scene.
Court Evidence and Plea
Prosecutors pointed to surveillance footage that they say shows a car pulling up, Wiott briefly getting into the vehicle, then bolting as Rogers followed and fired several shots. Those details, drawn from charging documents cited by KSDK, framed the case that began with a planned tablet sale and ended in gunfire. The plea agreement dropped the initial murder charge but still resulted in the 19-year sentence imposed Monday.
Legal Notes
Under the voluntary manslaughter plea and the consecutive armed-criminal-action term, Rogers is set to serve the full 19 years in state custody instead of going to trial on a first-degree murder charge. Prosecutors say the deal secured a guaranteed prison term for Wiott’s family while avoiding the roll of the dice that comes with a jury verdict.
.jpg){kind=link}