Alabama man sentenced to 25 years for Kennett pharmacy burglary
FOX23 News at 9 p.m
KENNETT, Mo., (KBSI) — An Alabama man has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for burglarizing a Kennett pharmacy and leading law enforcement officers on a high-speed chase through southeast Missouri.
David Jerome Evans, 31, of Birmingham, Alabama, was sentenced to 25 years in the Missouri Department of Corrections for his role in the March 13, 2025, burglary. Evans previously received a 78-month federal prison sentence in connection with the case and also faces charges in Alabama and Kentucky related to other pharmacy burglaries.
According to the Dunklin County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, officers responded to a burglary alarm at a Kennett pharmacy during the early morning hours of March 13. While officers were responding, a Kennett police officer spotted a white car with Tennessee license plates leaving town. Police had received reports days earlier that a similar vehicle had been seen taking photographs of another local pharmacy.
When the officer attempted a traffic stop, prosecutors said Evans fled, leading officers on a chase that reached speeds of more than 130 mph. The pursuit ended when the vehicle crashed in Pemiscot County.
Evans was arrested at the scene and admitted to being the driver, according to prosecutors. A second suspect fled on foot but was arrested several hours later. Investigators recovered prescription bottles and a crowbar near the crashed vehicle, as well as a face mask, gloves and additional prescription bottles inside. Authorities determined the vehicle was a stolen rental car.
Evans pleaded guilty to second-degree burglary, delivery of a controlled substance, stealing a controlled substance and aggravated fleeing. A judge ordered the sentences on all four convictions to run consecutively, totaling 25 years.
“This result sends a clear message to criminals that when you come to Dunklin County to commit crimes, you will face stiff punishment,” Dunklin County Prosecuting Attorney Nicholas Jain said in a statement.
Jain also thanked residents who reported the suspicious vehicle before the burglary, along with the Kennett Police Department and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration for their work on the investigation.
