Suspect took $12,000, then killed woman with AK-47, prosecutors say
Brad Dicken | The Chronicle-Telegram
ELYRIA — Vincent Jackson Jr. robbed Gas USA of $12,000 before shooting clerk Qiana Walton with an AK-47 assault rifle, Elyria police Detective Larry Barbee said Tuesday.
The robbery and murder were caught on store security cameras, and police saw and heard Walton’s last moments, including Jackson pulling the trigger, Barbee testified during a preliminary hearing before Elyria Municipal Court Judge Lisa Locke Graves.
Elyria City Prosecutor Jay Grunda said Walton cooperated with Jackson during the June 14 robbery.
“She did everything she was supposed to in a robbery, and it did not help,” he said after the hearing.
Grunda said he has not seen the tape of the killing but that it’s been described to him as “graphic.”
At the end of the hearing, the judge bound over to a county grand jury the aggravated murder and aggravated robbery charges.
The grand jury will decide whether Jackson, 27, should be indicted.
Graves also refused to set bond for Jackson, saying that the charges against him make it clear he is a danger to the community. Jackson’s attorney, Anthony Rich, had asked for a $5 million bond.
Rich Rennie, president of Plain City-based Weapons Experts Inc., said an AK-47 is a serious weapon capable of inflicting great damage to the human body. Rennie, who was not at the hearing and did not know the details of the case, said AK-47s are popular because the gun is accurate and easy to use and maintain.
It’s also not a small rifle, and it would be virtually impossible to conceal, even underneath a coat, Rennie said.
“If someone brandished an AK-47, it would be obvious they meant business,” he said.
Lorain County Coroner Paul Matus said Walton died from a single gunshot that caused devastating injuries to her head and brain, killing her instantly.
Jackson had been staying on West Avenue with his sister, Aja, for several weeks before the shooting and had recently been released from an Illinois prison, where he served eight years for shooting a man in the head after an argument. The victim in that case survived, according to Chicago authorities.
Lorain County Prosecutor Dennis Will did not return a call seeking comment Tuesday on whether his office plans to seek the death penalty against Jackson.
Contact Brad Dicken at 329-7147 or bdicken@chroniclet.com.
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Filed by Brad Dicken | The Chronicle-Telegram June 25th, 2008 in Top Stories.
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I have mixed feelings on the death penalty but in this case this man deserves the death penalty because it was obviously very pre-meditated in what he did. I hope that the jurors find that to be the case and the judge allows the death penalty to be the punishment in this case.
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You see clearly the gas station wasn’t at fault. This man is a cold blooded killer and Illinois should have left him in prison for the rest of his life. Put him in a cell and forgot about him. I now Ohio will not make that same mistake , this scum should die i just wish it could same cold -caulculating way he did her.
Callie i guess the truth has come out because as the coroner has said instantly, but anyone that seen the tape knew that Qiana didn’t suffer. I guess you will live with the fact that you should have been on time and lied to her family.
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I also have mixed emotions on the death penalty. But in this case where there is NO doubt, I would have to say he has it coming. He certainly has NO place EVER in society.
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Cook em, Gas em, stick em with the needle…. just get out of Society….. any way
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Public hanging why let him sit around for 10 to 20 years waiting 80 appeals.
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i just dont see what all the fuss is about
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not like it was somebody important or anything
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skinnerno1,
You are very sick individual. This a human that we are talking about. Someones family. I feel sorry that you live such a heartless life. I hope you can one day forgive yourself for these uncalled for comments. If it so unimportant, why are you taking the time to read and keep up with the story. You must have little sympathy.
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THIS COMMENT IS TO THE PERSON LOVINGLIFE4ME.
I WANT TO START OFF BY SAYING THAT U DONT KNOW WHAT REALLY HAPPENED AND WHY CALLIE WAS LATE. U ACT LIKE U NEVA BEEN LATE BEFORE. SO ANSWER THIS WHAT IF SHE WAS ON TIME? THEN THEY BOTH WOULD’VE GOT KILLED? BECAUSE HE WAS ALREADY POSSESSED WITH THE DEVIL, HE ALREADY HAD HIS MIND ALREADY SET TO ROB THE STORE. LETS TALK ABOUT THE SISTER THAT WORKS THERE. PEOPLE SHOULD STOP WORRYING ABOUT THE BEST FRIEND AND WORRY ABOUT THE SISTER THAT WORKED THERE. WHY HASN’T THE POLICE QUESTIONED HER BECAUSE SHE IS AS GUILTY AS HE IS. WHY HE DIDN’T ROBBED THE STORE WHEN HIS SISTER WAS WORKING. BECAUSE ITS ALL AN INSIDE JOB. AND THEY BLAME THE BEST FRIEND FOR NOT BEING ON TIME. BE REAL PEOPLE SHE FOUND HER DEAD WHAT MORE DO YOU WANT FOR THE BEST FRIEND TO COMMIT SUICIDE? SHE IS TAKING BAD.
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Excuse me!!! Did I miss something???
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Since when does a small local gas station have $12K in the store?
Doesn’t the typical business owner/manager make a bank deposit long before there is that amount of money laying around?
What perfect timing for a robbery.
I don’t intend to sound suspicious and uncompassionate to the victims and their families, but some of these recent “robbery” news stories get me thinking about the logic and common sense of it all.
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Nita someone stated that it is also a check cashing place.
To Shay you are correct, I don’t know what really happened, I don’t know who Callie is, and I have been late before. Why did u direct your comment to me????
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I think Shay meant to direct his/her comment towar formemo and not LovingLife4me.
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Ahhhhhhhh I see. Thank you ConcernedMom. I went back and read what formemo said after your post. Callie my prayers are with you! Remember it was Vincent Jackson’s fault not yours.
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Aterryw seems like you might be from out of town, here in good old Lorain County we now have elected a judge that does not like the death penalty because it is inhumane!! Is that hard to believe, this young woman was killed for absolutely no reason, by all reports in the paper she was cooperative, no one can imagine how she must of felt at those moments knowing she did not have a choice to live or die, it was decided for her. It actually takes my breath away to think of her parents, family, her friends and how they must try to live now. Maybe out of the ashes a revival of sort will start and people will rise up and stand no more for the violence in the streets, against our young people, our future, and hold judges, magristrates and attorneys accountable for releasing these dangerous people back on the streets. You see everyday if you look in the city of elyria criminal court you will see repeat offenders of violent crimes such as breaking and entering, burglarly get probation, have probation set on good behavior and paying their court costs, which of course they don’t and while they are on their probation they committ more crimes and the cycle begins again. Case in point this person was not from here but Chicago and probably in reality was on parole and not allowed to leave the state, however now he is our problem in elyria, lorain county and ohio. Again many thoughts and prayers are with this family that lost a child, sister, friend, cousin for absolutely no reason and pray that justice will be served.
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Let me begin by saying that Qiana was a very beautiful and caring person and I will hold the memory of her in my heart forever. She loved her family and friends very much and would do anything to help anyone at the drop of a dime. She was a very strong person and she really tried to live her life with happiness, appreciation and ambition. She was an IMPORTANT PERSON, she was my cousin, my aunt’s and uncle’s daughter, my cousin’s sister as well as a cherished family member and a valued friend to many other persons. She was a child of God and the only consolation to much of her family right now is knowing that she rests in a better place with God.
Now, although there is nothing in the world that can physically bring her back to us I can only hope and pray that justice is truly served. I am not going to point the finger at anyone, because believe me YOU WILL BE JUDGED WHEN YOUR TIME COMES. But, I can’t help but wonder if there were more parties involved other than the shooter. You see, this man came into that store with a plan. He knew where the alarm system was and that it needed to be disarmed. He also knew where the money was kept and never once even looked at the cash register. So someone please tell me how he knew these details unless someone else that worked there gave him these details. Where is the money now? Where are the clothes that he had on the day of the shooting? Why would he pick a day and time that his sister was not working there to rob the place?
As for her friend Callie, I pray that you had nothing to do with this because obviously Qiana cared and trusted you very much. You did have her car that night and you were late picking her up. But, she nevered uttered any words to you before she passed, come on now, your not getting any sympathy from me for that lie. We can’t judge you and her closest family obviously cares about you and wants to trust you too…All I can say is that the truth will come to the light, please believe….
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