ST. LOUIS — A jury on Thursday found Thomas Kinworthy guilty of murdering St. Louis police officer Tamarris Bohannon in August 2020.
The jury deliberated for about three hours after hearing closing arguments earlier Thursday. The defense argued for a not guilty verdict by reason of mental defect. As Kinworthy stood stoically and without emotion, the jury found him guilty on all nine counts. He now faces life in prison.
On Aug. 30, 2020, police said Kinworthy broke into a home in the Tower Grove neighborhood, ordered the couple who lived there to leave and then shot two police officers who responded. Bohannon, a father of three, was shot in the head and died from his injuries days later. A second officer was shot in the leg as he tried to render aide to his fellow officer.
Police said Kinworthy first shot a homeless man in the alley in the 3700 block of Hartford Street in the Tower Grove South neighborhood before forcing a couple to leave their home at gunpoint and opening fire on responding officers. He was charged with multiple crimes, including first-degree murder, assault on a law enforcement officer, burglary and resisting arrest.
Kinworthy on Tuesday waived his right to testify on his own behalf.
Prosecutors argued that Kinworthy knew what he was doing and tricked the defense's star witness, a forensic psychologist, into diagnosing him with a mental illness he doesn't have.
"He's not insane, he's cunning," Assistant Circuit Attorney Tanja Engelhardt said during closing arguments Thursday. "He's manipulative and he's hoping you're going to fall for it just like Dr. (Patricia) Zapf did."
Zapf was the defense’s star witness, having diagnosed the Parkland school shooter as well as the man who shot and killed St. Louis County police Officer Blake Snyder in 2016 as having a mental illness that meets the not guilty by reason of insanity standard.
Zapf diagnosed Kinworthy with schizoaffective bipolar type, saying she relied on interviews with Kinworthy, his ex-wife, father and stepmother along with some medical records and criminal records.
On Wednesday, Dr. Rachael Springman, a forensic psychologist who works with the Department of Mental Health’s Forensic Pretrial Program, provided contrary testimony.
When it comes to mental illness, Kinworthy was faking it, she said.
She served as the exclamation point on the prosecution’s case Wednesday just before closing arguments began in Kinworthy’s murder trial.
During the eight days of testimony jurors heard, they learned about his previous criminal cases involving a kidnapping and sexual battery case, the stabbing of another inmate while he was incarcerated in Florida as well as domestic violence against his ex-wife.
Springman also testified to how Kinworthy has convinced other inmates to let him use their PIN to make phone calls so they won't be recorded as his, and also convinced other people to send him money for commissary food and snacks.
"This has been a long road for us, it has not been easy," the slain officer's father Al Bohannon said after the verdict. "It's a form of closure. Not the closure that I seek but it's one I'll accept."
Circuit Attorney Gabe Gore spoke with reporters at the end of the trial.
"A violent criminal is now facing a sentence that is appropriate, which is a sentence of spending the rest of his life in prison," he said.
Bohannon's father then shared a message of support for those who protect and serve: "I want to say to all of the officers that are out there today, I want to thank you for putting that uniform on every day and I want to thank you for supporting us here in this city, for defending us, keeping us safe, being there for us when we need you."
St. Louis Police Chief Robert Tracy sent this internal memo how to his staff following the verdict:
"I know the last two weeks have been difficult. Many of you have testified and were forced to relive the day Police Officer Tamarris L. Bohannon died and his partner was injured by gunshot. Today, justice is served.
"His senseless murder is a somber reminder of the ultimate sacrifice Officer Bohannon made in service of the City of St. Louis. Our department is grateful to Circuit Attorney Gabe Gore and the prosecution team for bringing a killer to justice.
"Please keep Officer Bohannon’s family, friends and fellow officers in your thoughts and prayers."
A jduge will sentence Kinworthy in June.