ST. LOUIS – The man convicted in the murder of a St. Louis police officer in 2020 was sentenced Thursday to life behind bars without the possibility of parole.

St. Louis Circuit Court Judge Elizabeth Hogan listened to victim impact statements before handing down two life sentences in prison to Thomas Kinworthy Jr., 46, the man who murdered Officer Tamarris Bohannon.

“His loss is a deep wound that will never be healed,” Al Bohannon, Tamarris’ father, said.

“I miss my son every day,” Elizabeth Bohannon, Tamarris’ mother, said. “A piece of me is gone.”

The St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office said Kinworthy was also given the maximum punishment on each of eight additional counts, adding up to 107 years, all of which will run consecutive to his life term.

In August 2020, Bohannan and his partner, Arlando Bailey, responded to a call for a shooting in the Tower Grove South neighborhood.

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A couple who called 911 said that while they were on the phone with a dispatcher, Kinworthy entered their home, held them at gunpoint, and told them to hang up. The couple escaped out a back door and talked with Officer Bohannon.

Investigators said when Bohannon walked around to the front of the home, Kinworthy shot him in the head with a handgun from a second-story window inside that couple’s house. Bailey was shot in the leg and survived.

Police arrested Kinworthy after a nearly 12-hour standoff. Bohannon died at the hospital the next day. He was 29. Bohannon had been on the force for more than three-and-a-half years. He left behind a wife, Alexis, and three children.

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Many of Bohannon’s family members, including his parents, widow, and children, read impact statements during Thursday’s sentencing hearing, expressing grief and anger.

“‘I wish my dad could come back again,’” Alexis said, reading a statement by one of her sons. “I’m mad and I hope you go to hell.”

The day officer Bohannon died, his younger sister gave birth to her first child.

“He’s going to be in prison for the rest of his life and we’re never going to see my brother again,” Tiffany Bautista, Tamarris’ sister, said. “But we know he’s here in our hearts.”

Kinworthy also addressed the court prior to sentencing. He did not accept responsibility for his crimes or offer an apology to the Bohannon family. He also had a few outbursts during sentencing, cursing at the prosecution as prior criminal incidents were read aloud to the judge.

“Very hard because I would have to stop and gather myself,” Elizabeth Bohannon said, talking about her victim impact statement. “Probably took like a week to write it and rewrite it. Very difficult to do that. I think it just goes to show that he has no remorse for what he done. His whole defense was a lie and not once did he say, ‘I’m sorry.’”

Kinworthy was convicted of Bohannon’s murder on May 2. He was also found guilty of wounding Bailey and another civilian.

“Years of meticulous work by our prosecution team achieved long-delayed justice for the
families of Officers Bohannon and Bailey,” Circuit Attorney Gabe Gore said. “The sentence of
life without the possibility of parole and additional maximum sentences on all counts are
appropriate punishment for these heinous crimes committed by such a violent, unrepentant
individual.”

Al Bohannon said he wants people to remember his son’s bravery, dedication, and honor in choosing to serve the City of St. Louis.

“To wear that uniform and protect those who are helpless. He wore that uniform proudly,” he said.

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