Prosecutors argued on Feb. 3 that DNA found on a Sunkist soda bottle links Joseph Coates to the robbery and fatal shooting of 26-year-old Marvin Jason Jackson Jr. during a drug deal nearly three years ago.
The assistant state’s attorney detailed a coordinated “ambush” in her closing argument. Surveillance footage from Dec. 15, 2023, allegedly shows Coates, 41, and his 51-year-old accomplice, Joseph Walker, leaving in a vehicle 30 minutes before the murder. According to the prosecutor Coates “got into position” with a handgun concealed in his pocket while Walker approached Jackson under the guise of a drug transaction. Coates was prohibited from possessing a firearm at the time of the incident due to a prior gun conviction.
The prosecution’s case hinged on a Sunkist bottle left at the scene that is said to contain traces of Coates’ DNA. They asserted that after the shooting, Coates was seen “rummaging” through the victim’s pockets while Walker retrieved dropped drugs.
Defense attorney Jerry Rodriguez argued that the lack of audio in the surveillance footage made it difficult to discern whether Coates fired the fatal gunshots. Rodriguez pointed to a video of Coates fleeing through an alleyway, claiming the defendant appeared to be “trembling” and terrified in the aftermath of the shooting. He further argued that the victim had been armed at the time of the shooting, and emphasized that investigators failed to recover traces of Coates’ DNA from the victim’s body.
In a final rebuttal, the prosecution introduced jailhouse calls between Coates and his brother suggesting the defendant intended to shift blame onto Walker. The prosecutor also addressed witness intimidation concerns, citing a call from Coates’ brother regarding Walker’s girlfriend, a key witness.
The jury is currently deliberating.
