A Chicago man was sentenced to 40 years in prison for the 2022 murder of a beloved Hyde Park bartender.
Keante McShan, 23, pleaded guilty to the murder and armed robbery of Diego Damis on Thursday. He was handed a sentence of 40 years by Judge John Lyke Jr., according to Cook County court records.
Damis was a bartender at The Cove Lounge in Hyde Park, where the Italian immigrant was known for his generosity and kind heart. Loved ones said he would bring home-cooked Italian meals to the bar and offer people in need a place to stay.
Damis was on his way home when he was stabbed to death in the 4900 block of South Greenwood Avenue on Feb. 25, 2022, around 5 a.m. He was 41.
Damis was headed home after a shift at the Cove Lounge and had been paid in cash. Video surveillance shows he was followed by McShan, then 18, who had been checking for unlocked cars in the area, prosecutors alleged.
Prosecutors said McShan used a knife to stab Damis several times in the early hours of February 25, and then ran away with his wallet and bank card. He used the card to purchase cigarettes at a nearby gas station, according to prosecutors.
Surveillance footage was used to track McShan from the crime scene to his home. Police said a knife and the stolen cards were found at his residence.
Police records revealed that McShan had pending juvenile cases for theft, firearm possession and unlawful use of a weapon. He also had a warrant for juvenile aggravated vehicular hijacking and unlawful use of a weapon from 2021.
McShan received credit for the time served in prison since a March 2022 arrest.
Court records show that McShan is set to enter a plea in two additional cases on Sept. 10.
In one case, McShan faced a charge of aggravated battery of a peace officer stemming from a May 2024 incident, filed in August 2024. According to the indictment, while in custody, McShan threw a container of urine at a correctional institutional employee. He pleaded not guilty in 2024.
Another case, filed in April 2024, charges McShan and four co-defendants with kidnapping and battery of a fellow inmate, Romel Tyson, on Sept. 3, 2023. McShan pleaded not guilty that same year, court records show.