Jury selection continued on Jan. 28 in the trial of a 41-year-old Severn man accused of killing Marvin Jackson, 26, during a drug deal gone bad just over two years ago.
Joseph Coates is charged with two counts of first-degree murder, one count each of armed robbery and conspiracy to commit armed robbery, and related firearm violations in connection to Jackson’s death, which occurred Dec. 15, 2023 on the 1800 block of Aiken Street.
Coates was initially charged alongside co-defendant Joseph Walker, 51, who was found guilty last July of second-degree murder, armed robbery, and several gun and conspiracy offenses.
Charging documents note that Baltimore Police Department (BPD) officers responded to a ShotSpotter alert on Aiken Street, where they found Jackson with a gunshot wound to his neck. At 6 p.m., less than 30 minutes after the initial response, doctors at Johns Hopkins Hospital proclaimed Jackson deceased.
Surveillance cameras in the area of the shooting captured two men exiting a white 2020 Volkswagen Passat and approaching Jackson.
Walker then produced a gun equipped with a laser and shot Jackson. After the victim fell, Walker was seen rifling through Jackson’s pockets, while a suspect identified as Coates retrieved an unidentified item near Jackson’s body. In a taped statement, Walker admitted to detectives he was present at the scene, but claimed he was only there to purchase drugs from Jackson.
Counsel is expected to continue selecting jurors on Jan. 29.
