A Flora man has been found guilty of first-degree murder and shooting into an occupied vehicle following a three-day jury trial in the Madison County Circuit Court.
Jakeviyon Hunter, 22, was sentenced by Circuit Judge Dewey Arthur to serve life in prison for the murder charge and an additional five years for the shooting.
On January 21, law enforcement officers with the Madison County Sheriff’s office were called to 623 St. Charles St. in Flora on reports of an individual being shot. Upon arrival, deputies found Jaquarius Ross with multiple fatal gunshots on the left side of his body.
Officers were able to obtain surveillance footage from a neighboring home that showed an individual approached Ross’ truck immediately after his arrival and fired nine shots into the vehicle. The suspect, who was wearing a tan-colored jacket, then fled from the scene on foot.
The passenger in the vehicle was unharmed and was able to identify Hunter as the gunman, allowing investigators to find the suspect’s location and obtain a search warrant for his cell phone.
According to phone records, Hunter had asked Ross to come to his home under the guise of bringing him a pair of shoes, which were found in Ross’ lap at the time of his death. Additional data from the phone also pinpointed that Hunter was located at the scene of the incident at the time of the shooting.
Officers later discovered a social media post that Hunter made hours before Ross’ death that showed that he was wearing a tan jacket matching the one seen in the original surveillance tape.
“This was such a senseless shooting, and because of it, Jaquarius Ross lost his life and Jakeviyon Hunter will spend the rest of his life behind bars,” District Attorney Bubba Bramlett stated. “We hope the guilty verdict gives Mr. Ross’s family closure and our hearts go out to them for their loss.”
Hunter’s motive was said to involve a previous dispute between the two.
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