CIRCUIT ATTORNEY CITY OF ST.

LOUIS

JENNIFER M. JOYCE
CARNAHAN COURTHOUSE 1114 Market St. Room 401 St. Louis, Missouri 63101 (314) 622-4941 FAX: (314) 622-3369

I have deep compassion for Ms. Inkley and all families of violent crime. I am so sorry for the loss she has experienced. We are committed to ensuring that Matthew Pelligrini and his family receive justice. Last year, the Grand Jury indicted Kevin Beindorff of Involuntary Manslaughter 1st Degree and Armed Criminal Action in the death of Matthew Pellegrini. Since then, there has been a thorough investigation of the available evidence and witness accounts, and the charges remain the same. We have spoken with family and we are aware that they would prefer to go to trial on this matter. While the impact of this tragedy on Mr. Pellegrinis family has been tremendous, under our legal system charging decisions are made by objective prosecutors based on the evidence available and the application of the laws of the State of Missouri. Plea agreements are also made based up several factors. Prosecutors objectively consider available evidence, witness and defendant statements, legal opportunities and challenges and wishes of the family when making assessments related to achieving the greatest accountability for the defendant and justice for the victim. The input and cooperation of victims and their families is essential to our pursuit of justice in every case. We do our best to accommodate and fulfill their wishes. In most cases, prosecutors and victims families are aligned with the course of action on a given criminal matter. On a rare occasion like this, the opinions regarding a course of action to achieve justice between prosecutors and a victims family differs. The judge will make the ultimate decision after reviewing our agreement and the states sentencing summary as he requested. The maximum punishment under the law for the lead charge of Involuntary Manslaughter First is seven years. The maximum punishment under the law for the charge of Armed Criminal Action is up to life, with a minimum of three years in the Missouri Department of Corrections.