A St. Louis woman has been sentenced to prison after pleading guilty to first-degree murder in the April 2025 shooting death of Kenneth Whitehorn, whose body was found along a tree line in Granite City, Illinois. Brittany D. Howard, 39, must serve her full term, with two co-defendants still awaiting trial in connection with the case.
Conflicting Reports on the Length of Howard’s Sentence
Court records cited in the case describe Howard and Whitehorn as having known each other, with the motive for his killing tied to drugs and money. Reporting on the sentence itself is not consistent: KMOV’s headline states Howard was sentenced to 25 years, while the same outlet’s article body says she received 35 years in prison on Tuesday. A separate account from RiverBender.com also reports a 35-year sentence, handed down Tuesday, Nov. 3, after Howard’s guilty plea to first-degree murder. Hoodline has not been able to independently verify which figure is accurate against a public court docket, and both numbers are presented here as reported. What is consistent across the reporting is that Howard is required to serve her full prison sentence, whatever its length, according to KMOV.
Whitehorn Found Shot Near Alton Street
Whitehorn, 58, was found dead on April 24, 2025, at the end of a tree line near Alton Street and Pontoon Road in Granite City, according to court records referenced in the reporting. He had died from a gunshot wound to the head. The Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis and the Granite City Police Department led the investigation, with the Pontoon Beach Police Department and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department assisting, per the same account.
Two Co-Defendants Remain Jailed Awaiting Trial
Howard was not the only person charged in connection with Whitehorn’s death. DeWayne Franklin, 43, of St. Louis, is charged with first-degree murder, possession of a weapon by a felon, and aggravated unlawful possession of weapons — the murder charge filed under the law of accountability. He remains in the Madison County Jail awaiting trial, the report notes.
Michael E. McCollum, 76, of Florissant, Missouri, faces two counts of obstructing justice and one count of aggravated unlawful possession of weapons. He is accused of providing false information to police, allegedly possessing a handgun, and allegedly washing and vacuuming a vehicle used in the homicide. McCollum was released under the provisions of the SAFE-T Act, the same source reports.
Assistant State’s Attorneys Mike Stewart and Luke Yager prosecuted the case.
