Andre Anderson: Second St Louis man gets 10 years after he pleads guilty to fatally shooting 7-year-old girl and her father

Warning: This article contains a recollection of crime and can be triggering to some, readers’ discretion advised.

ST LOUIS, MISSOURI: On Thursday, February 8, a second man was handed down a 10-year prison sentence after he pled guilty to the deadly shooting of Dmyah Fleming, 7, and her father, Darrion Rankin-Fleming. 

Andre L Anderson, 28, pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree involuntary manslaughter related to the fatal shooting that took place on January 24, 2021, in the 400 block of Laclede Avenue.

Anderson and his codefendant, Javonn Nettles, apparently fired multiple shots at the father and daughter, who were seated in a parked car, as reported by the police.

Nettles, 30, received a 10-year prison sentence in October 2023 after pleading guilty to two counts of second-degree murder, as per KSDK.

Family of the victims aren't pleased that Andre L Anderson and Javonn Nettles won't be going to trial

In the St Louis courtroom on Thursday, relatives of the victims were seen holding photographs of Dmyah and Darrion lying in their caskets during a funeral held on February 8, 2021. 

Darrion's mother, Suketha Rankin, stated, "Today, February 8th, 2021, is when I buried my son and granddaughter. Today was the actual day of their funeral."

She expressed frustration, saying, "You get our hopes up like 'oh, two life sentences without parole, 60 years, 30 years for each gun'... All through these three years, it's been 'A speedy trial. We want a trial. We want a trial'. Now it's time for a trial, you don't want one."

Suketha continued, "Today, it was like we were up getting ready for the funeral all over again like I was burying my son and granddaughter again for a third time."

Dmyah's mother, Janice Johns, also expressed pain, noting that neither person responsible is going to trial.

Janice is trying to be strong for her six-year-old daughter, Nova, who remembers losing her sister.

She shared, "Her body locks up and she shakes and she screams. She wants her sissy... She says she's scared to go to heaven because people who die go to heaven. She doesn't want to die." 

Andre L Anderson and Javonn Nettles agreed to lesser charges instead of first-degree murder 

The defendants, Nettles and Anderson, initially faced charges of two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of armed criminal action in the shooting incident.

However, they opted for plea deals and agreed to lesser charges. Under Missouri law, a first-degree murder conviction carries a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Following Nettles' plea in October 2023, Circuit Attorney Gabe Gore commented, "We don't believe that the outcome of a ten-year sentence is perfect, but it's certainly not perfect justice. Yet it was, in this case, the best outcome we felt we could obtain,"

According to charging documents, police cited cellphone records placing Anderson in the vicinity at the time of the shooting.

Additionally, Nettles had made a phone call to Darrion shortly before the incident. His fingerprints were also discovered on Darrion's car.