West Plains, MO. – Stanley Allen Kenaga, Jr. has been sentenced to life in prison on August 25, 2023, for the murder of 77-year-old Barbara Lynn of Birch Tree in 2020.
According to online court documents, Kenaga accepted a plea bargain during his first court appearance after the hearings were moved to Jasper County last Friday. Kenaga pled guilty to the charges of Class A Felony, Murder 1st Degree, Class B Felony, Burglary 1st Degree; Class D Felony, Stealing $750+; Class D Felony, Arson 2nd Degree; and Class E Felony, Abandonment of a Corpse.
Kenaga has been sentenced to life in prison without parole for the murder charge with 15 years for burglary, 7 years for stealing, 7 years for arson, and 4 years for abandonment of a corpse.
Kenaga, along with Joseph Proffer, were accused of breaking into the Birch Tree home of Barbara Lynn on April 2, 2020, with the purpose of stealing large sums of money from the home. Lynn confronted the men and was beaten and strangled to death. Her home was then set on fire by the men.
Proffer has a pretrial hearing at the Phelps County Courthouse in Rolla, Missouri scheduled for today.
