ST. LOUIS – A jury has convicted a St. Louis man in a near-fatal attack of his girlfriend earlier this year while he was on parole for a 1980 murder, according to the St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office.

Anthony Wren, 69, was convicted of first-degree domestic assault, armed criminal action and kidnapping in the case.

Investigators link Wren to an attack of his girlfriend on Jan. 18, 2023. It reportedly happened at his girlfriend’s home in St. Louis City.

According to a news release from the circuit attorney’s office, Wren became upset during a conversation and his girlfriend asked him to leave. Wren refused and shot his girlfriend once in the head.

Investigators say Wren refused to call for help until the victim was bleeding profusely and promised to say that she had shot herself. He then placed a 911 call and ran away. The victim suffered nerve damage to her face and a partial loss of vision in one eye after the shooting. Police determined her injuries were not consistent with a self-inflicted shot, prompting an investigation into Wren.

The jury delivered a verdict on Sept. 27 after deliberating for less than three hours.