Plea deal reached in murder case

By JOHN W. GOODWIN JR.

jgoodwin@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

A city man has again agreed to accept a plea deal for multiple murders that will place him in prison for the rest of his life.

Antonio Jackson, 29, appeared Friday before Judge John M. Durkin of Mahoning County Common Pleas Court. Before court was adjourned, Jackson was headed to a state prison to begin serving his sentence.

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 Jackson be sentenced to two consecutive life terms without possibility of parole.

Jackson was set to be sentenced in late January, but at that sentencing hearing he informed his attorneys — John B. Juhasz and Lynn Maro — that he wanted to change his plea.

Judge Durkin was set Friday to hear arguments for and against the change in plea, but Jackson again changed his mind.

He told the court he wanted to withdraw his previous request to change his plea and go forward with the original negotiated agreement.

Judge Durkin allowed the change and immediately sentenced Jackson to the two consecutive life terms.

Jackson had been charged with killing two women at separate times more than four years ago.

Prosecutors say Antonio Jackson drowned Tahnee Jackson, 29, no relation to Antonio Jackson, and left her body floating in a creek in a wooded area near Erie Street and Earle Avenue on the South Side on Nov. 20, 2005.

The prosecutors and police say he raped Sierra Y. Slaton, 19, in South Side Park before taking her to McKelvey Lake on the East Side, where he shot her multiple times in the head at point-blank range and threw her body into the water.

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

Parents of both slain women had expressed discontent with the ongoing case and Jackson’s desire to change his plea and opt for a trial.