A 28-year-old figure skating coach who dedicated her life to teaching discipline and resilience to young athletes was gunned down during a Monday morning coffee run by a man who should have been behind bars for another eight months.
Story Snapshot
- Sam Linehan, beloved skating coach and restaurant manager, was fatally shot February 10, 2026 in a St. Louis Starbucks drive-thru during an armed robbery
- Suspect Keith Lamon Brown, 58, had a 40-year criminal history including two prior armed robbery convictions with sentences totaling 45 years
- Brown committed three armed robberies in five days, stealing firearms and shooting victims before police arrested him with distinctive video evidence
- The skating community mourns a mentor who shaped countless young lives while questions mount about parole system failures
When a Routine Coffee Stop Turns Fatal
Sam Linehan pulled into the Starbucks drive-thru in St. Louis’ Tower Grove neighborhood around 10 a.m. on February 10, 2026, likely running through her mental checklist for the day ahead. She coached at Metro Edge Figure Skating Club and St. Louis Synergy Synchro Skating Teams while managing restaurants including Sado and Yellowbelly. Keith Lamon Brown approached her vehicle, ordered her to raise her hands, then shot her. He stole her bank cards, driver’s license, and allegedly a firearm from her purse before fleeing. She died from her wounds.
A Robbery Spree Hidden in Plain Sight
Brown wore a yellow safety vest and construction helmet during his crime spree, a costume that made him simultaneously visible and invisible. On February 6, he robbed a Dollar General cashier at gunpoint on Grand Boulevard, firing his weapon during the holdup. Two days later, he targeted a woman in a Jack in the Box drive-thru on South Grand, stealing her purse, a 9mm handgun, cell phones belonging to her and her daughter, again discharging his firearm. Surveillance cameras captured every incident. The distinctive outfit that perhaps made him feel anonymous became his signature, linking all three crimes conclusively.
The Arrest That Came Too Late
SWAT officers raided Brown’s home in the early morning hours of February 11, finding him in possession of items stolen from Linehan and the previous victims. The 58-year-old suspect now faces first-degree murder, three counts of first-degree robbery, armed criminal action, and unlawful firearm possession. A judge denied bond. The speed of the arrest demonstrates what investigators could accomplish with clear video evidence and a suspect who left a trail of stolen property. Yet the arrest raises a more uncomfortable question: why was Brown free to commit any of these crimes?
Four Decades of Violence, Somehow Walking Free
Brown’s criminal record stretches back 40 years in St. Louis. Courts convicted him in 1986 of robbery, burglary, and armed criminal action, resulting in a 15-year sentence. In October 1996, another conviction for robbery and armed criminal action brought a 30-year sentence that should have kept him incarcerated until October 2026. Instead, he walked free months early despite a history of absconding on parole. He had violated parole conditions previously yet remained at liberty to terrorize drive-thru customers across south St. Louis. The math is simple and damning: had Brown served his full 30-year sentence, Linehan would still be coaching young skaters.
A Community Loses Its Heart
Metro Edge Figure Skating Club sent an email to families describing the loss as unimaginable. Club president Leslie Hinyard emphasized that Coach Sam had a meaningful impact on everyone she encountered. The skating clubs closed temporarily, prioritizing grief support for the young athletes who had lost a mentor. Restaurants where Linehan worked as general manager shuttered their doors so staff could mourn. She taught more than skating techniques. Former students and colleagues described someone who instilled discipline, resilience, and confidence in children navigating the challenging world of competitive figure skating. Those lessons will outlive her, but the students will never get another one.
The Questions No One Wants to Answer
St. Louis has seen overall crime rates decline, yet violent repeat offenders continue cycling through a system that seems structurally incapable of protecting citizens. Brown represents a category of criminal that parole boards consistently misjudge: someone with decades of violent convictions who receives early release only to immediately resume predatory behavior. The case fuels renewed calls for parole reform and stricter sentencing enforcement. Critics point to prosecutors and parole officials who prioritize rehabilitation theory over public safety reality. Brown had every opportunity to change across 40 years and multiple incarcerations. He chose violence every time. The system chose to give him another chance. Linehan paid the price for that choice with her life.
Another Career Criminal Killed a Beloved Figure Skating Coach in St. Louis
https://t.co/RVotbFERJE— Townhall Updates (@TownhallUpdates) February 12, 2026
The skating community now faces the difficult work of honoring Linehan’s legacy while processing senseless loss. Young athletes must reconcile that the coach who taught them to persevere through falls and setbacks was stolen by random violence during a coffee run. Drive-thru employees across St. Louis will feel a chill every time someone approaches their window unexpectedly. And citizens will wonder how many more Keith Lamon Browns are walking free right now, their lengthy sentences mysteriously shortened, their parole violations overlooked, their next victims already selected but not yet encountered. Sam Linehan deserved to grow old coaching generations of skaters. She deserved a system that kept violent predators locked away. She deserved better than what she got on that Monday morning.
Sources:
Another Career Criminal Killed a Woman in a Starbucks Drive-Thru in St. Louis
Outrage Builds After Woman Is Gunned Down Randomly in a St. Louis Starbucks Drive-Thru
