ST. LOUIS, MO – A Kirkwood man has been sentenced to 21 years in prison for a high-speed crash that killed a mother and daughter crossing a downtown street after a concert.
Monte Henderson, 23, drove a Jeep Grand Cherokee through multiple red lights before slamming into the pair at Olive and North 18th Streets.
The Valentine’s Day 2024 crash killed 42-year-old Laticha Liz Bracero and her 21-year-old daughter, Alyssa Angel Cordova, who were visiting St. Louis for a concert.
Investigators said Henderson was traveling eastbound on Olive Street at more than 70 miles per hour when he struck the two women in a crosswalk.
Surveillance footage from the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department’s Real Time Crime Center captured Henderson weaving through traffic and ignoring traffic signals just moments before the collision.
Speed data confirms deadly recklessness
Police data from the Jeep’s airbag control module showed Henderson’s vehicle was traveling 74 miles per hour when it entered the intersection.
Henderson pled guilty in July to two counts of first-degree involuntary manslaughter and two counts of armed criminal action, leaving his punishment to be decided by the court.
At sentencing, prosecutors detailed the devastating impact of the crash on both families and described Henderson’s decision to drive at such high speeds as “utterly reckless.”
Prosecutors emphasize accountability
“This case makes clear that we will aggressively prosecute those who choose to drive recklessly and imperil members of our community,” said St. Louis Circuit Attorney Gabe Gore.
He added that the 21-year sentence reflects both the gravity of Henderson’s actions and the permanent loss suffered by the victims’ loved ones.
The case was prosecuted by Homicide Unit Chief Tanja Engelhardt, Violent Crime Unit Supervisor Adam Field, and Homicide Unit Deputy Chief Carolyn Chkautovich.
Henderson will serve his sentence in the Missouri Department of Corrections.