ST. LOUIS — In his career, Jerryl Christmas has seen many sides of the legal process.

But in recent months, he has gained yet another perspective: the brother of a victim in a homicide case.

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And he’s not pleased with the way it went. His brother’s killer got a seven-year sentence. Christmas called it a “sweetheart deal.”

“I was opposed to this,” Christmas said Tuesday.

St. Louis Circuit Attorney Gabe Gore’s office said the plea agreement was reached after careful review by the most senior members of staff.

Still, he acknowledged the “immense pain this tragedy has caused” Christmas’ family.

“We understand that they would have liked to have seen Mr. Warren receive a longer sentence,” he said in the statement. “Resolving cases such as this with plea agreements is a difficult but necessary part of our work.”

Trevell M. Warren shot John Christmas, 51, at a Phillips 66 gas station on North Kingshighway and Dr. Martin Luther King Drive in June 2024. Warren tried to steal a pistol from Christmas’ waistband while Christmas argued with the Phillips 66 clerk, police said. The two men fought over the gun, and Christmas was killed.

Warren was initially charged with second-degree murder, robbery, unlawful possession of a firearm and two counts of armed criminal action. The case worked its way through the process.

Then, last week, Jerryl Christmas was in Alabama when he got a call from his sister-in-law. She told him prosecutors had reached a deal in his brother’s case. There would be a hearing the next day.

“I didn’t even know that they were in plea negotiations,” he said.

Christmas called the prosecutor and asked if they could move the hearing back so he could attend, he said.

He also learned the substance of the deal: involuntary manslaughter and unlawful possession of a firearm. Seven years in prison.

Christmas was angry and confused. From his viewpoint, the case matched the charges. His brother was killed during a robbery, he says. And the shooter had multiple prior convictions, including for weapons-related offenses.

A jury should ultimately decide what punishment Warren should face — not prosecutors, he said.

“You don’t capitulate on things like that,” he said.

John Christmas was the life of the party, Jerryl said. He was a father of two with the type of mind that allowed him to build things without instructions. He loved to work at food pantries and help people find shelter. He always remembered loved ones’ birthdays.