BreAnna Johnson was four months pregnant with twins when she was shot inside her Wentzville home.
WENTZVILLE, Mo. — A Missouri man was sentenced to 30 years in prison after entering an Alford plea in the shooting death of his pregnant girlfriend and her unborn twins.
Darryl Tyson Jr., 41, entered the plea June 2 to three counts of second-degree murder and one count of second-degree domestic assault in the death of BreAnna Johnson, 28. Prosecutors said the plea came shortly before trial and followed autopsy evidence they said contradicted Tyson’s self-defense claim.
Johnson was found fatally shot inside her Wentzville home on Oct. 31, 2024. She was four months pregnant with twins and had two young sons, then 6 months old and 17 months old, inside the home. The children were not physically hurt. Tyson had first faced three counts of first-degree murder before entering pleas to reduced murder counts tied to Johnson and each unborn child.
Prosecutors said Johnson was shot five times in the back. St. Charles County Prosecuting Attorney Joseph McCulloch said the bullet paths showed Johnson was falling or already down when some shots were fired. “That takes away her being in a threatening position for his self-defense claim,” McCulloch said. Tyson’s attorney, Raphael Morris, said the autopsy evidence changed the defense view of the case.
Tyson also received a seven-year sentence on the domestic assault count, to run at the same time as the murder sentence. Under Missouri law, he must serve 85% of the 30-year term before he can be considered for parole, meaning more than 25 years in prison.
Authorities said Tyson had been arrested earlier the same day on a domestic violence charge tied to an incident in which he was accused of throwing a phone that hit Johnson in the head. Johnson’s family has since backed a proposal known as BreAnna’s Law, which would create a public registry for repeat domestic violence offenders in Missouri.
Johnson’s mother, Janette Perry, attended the sentencing and said she wanted to hear Tyson speak in court. Johnson’s two surviving sons are now living with her father, according to reports cited in the case.
The criminal case now stands at sentencing, with Tyson’s parole eligibility more than two decades away.
Author note: Last updated June 6, 2026.