Prosecutors said autopsy findings weakened Darryl Tyson Jr.’s claim that he fired in self-defense.
WENTZVILLE, Mo. — A murder case that began with a fatal shooting inside a Wentzville home ended this week with a 30-year prison sentence for the victim’s boyfriend.
Darryl Tyson Jr., 41, entered an Alford plea June 2 to three counts of second-degree murder in the deaths of BreAnna Johnson and her unborn twins. He also entered a plea to one count of second-degree domestic assault. An Alford plea lets a defendant maintain innocence while accepting that prosecutors have enough evidence to likely win a conviction.
Johnson, 28, was killed Oct. 31, 2024. She was four months pregnant with twins and was the mother of two young boys. Her sons were in the home when the shooting happened but were not physically injured. The case had been set for trial before Tyson entered the plea.
Tyson initially told investigators that Johnson was facing him with a weapon when he fired. Prosecutors said the physical evidence did not match that account. Autopsy findings showed Johnson had been shot five times in the back. Prosecuting Attorney Joseph McCulloch said the direction of some bullets showed she was falling or on the ground when she was hit.
Defense attorney Raphael Morris said Tyson first believed Johnson had been facing him, but that discovery materials and autopsy photographs showed that was not accurate. Morris said Tyson decided a plea was in his best interest after reviewing the evidence.
The sentence includes 30 years on the murder counts and seven years on the assault count, with the terms running at the same time. Missouri’s 85% rule means Tyson must serve more than 25 years before parole eligibility.
The assault count was tied to an earlier incident the same day, when Tyson was accused of throwing a phone that struck Johnson in the head. Johnson’s family has pushed for BreAnna’s Law, a proposed Missouri measure that would place repeat domestic violence offenders on a public registry.
Johnson’s mother said the plea brought a measure of justice for her daughter. The next major marker in the case will be Tyson’s future parole eligibility after the required prison term is served.
Author note: Last updated June 6, 2026.