Justice delayed in 2 cases of murder

By John W. Goodwin Jr.

The defendant, who accepted an agreement in October, wants to change his plea.

YOUNGSTOWN — The Rev. Sherwood Jackson drove for hours, donned a suit and appeared promptly in court to see justice done.

He was here for what should have been the sentencing of the man convicted of killing his daughter, Tahnee Jackson, 29, more than four years ago.

Sitting a few feet away from the Rev. Mr. Jackson on Friday in the courtroom of Judge John M. Durkin of Mahoning County Common Pleas Court was Rose Slaton, mother of Sierra Y. Slaton, 19, another woman police said was killed by the same man. Slaton also traveled from out of town to see the killer of her child sentenced.

Both parents, however, will have to wait at least 30 days to see the man charged with both deaths sent to prison or face a trial.

Seated a mere 30 feet from the long-grieving parents was the man who pleaded guilty to killing their daughters — Antonio Jackson.

Jackson accepted an agreement in October before Judge Durkin, pleading guilty to two counts of aggravated murder, three counts of kidnapping, three counts of aggravated robbery and rape. As part of the plea agreement, the state recommended that Jackson be sentenced to two consecutive life terms without any possibility of parole.

Jackson was set to be sentenced Friday, but he informed his attorneys — John Yuhasz and Lynn Maro — that he wanted to change his plea.

Yuhasz told the court he was not prepared to argue for a change in plea and would need time to prepare.

Dawn Cantalamessa, an assistant county prosecutor, objected to the motion and said it appears Jackson is attempting to manipulate the system.

“This is all untimely. There has been no reason set forth. We are putting all these people at an inconvenience for this defendant,” she said. “It seems that this defendant is trying to run the criminal-justice system as he sees fit.”

Judge Durkin apologized to the families but did grant a 30-day continuance to allow Jackson’s defense team time to prepare for a hearing on his request to change his plea. The judge said the decision is a matter of law.

Mr. Jackson, who traveled from North Carolina and was prepared to address the court before sentencing, calmly said he is disappointed, but he will return to the court for the hearing and anything else that develops in the case. He said the continuances just hurt the families.

Rose Slaton, who came from Cleveland, said the entire process seems unfair to her deceased daughter, who was her only child.

“Sierra did not have any rights, and now he has all the rights in the world. We will be back because we will see this through to the end. I am not happy about this at all. We know he killed Sierra, and he knows it, too,” she said.

Yvonne Slaton, an aunt of Sierra Slaton’s, said the family is looking for closure, and the continuance is making that difficult to find.

Prosecutors say Antonio Jackson drowned Tahnee Jackson and left her body floating in a creek in a wooded area near Erie Street and Earle Avenue on the South Side.

The prosecution says Slaton was raped in South Side Park before being taken to McKelvey Lake on the East Side, where she was shot multiple times in the head at point-blank range and thrown into the water.

Slaton was found floating in the lake at 6:30 p.m. Aug. 7, 2005.

jgoodwin@vindy.com