Marley Jackson, a 34-year-old African American man, was tragically shot to death on July 20, 2018, inside his luxury condo at the Blue on The Bay complex in Miami, Florida. The incident occurred shortly before 1:30 a.m., when Miami police responded to reports of shots being fired. Upon arrival, officers found Jackson's body with an apparent gunshot wound.
He was pronounced dead at the scene by Miami Fire Rescue personnel.
The investigation revealed that John Stanton, a 28-year-old man, was arrested on July 25, 2018, and charged with first-degree murder in connection with Jackson's death. According to the arrest report, Stanton and another individual arrived at Jackson's apartment, where a witness heard a brief struggle followed by a gunshot. The other person involved stole Jackson's Louis Vuitton messenger bag worth about $1,200, and both suspects fled the building. Stanton was held without bond following his arrest.
Further developments in the case led to the arrest of a second suspect, Jermaine Sheldon King, also 34 years old, on September 21, 2018. King was charged with first-degree murder and armed robbery with a deadly weapon. Detectives received an anonymous tip about King, a Jamaican native who had been living in South Florida for two years. He was identified in part by his tattoos and cellphone records. King, like Stanton, was held without bond.
Friends and acquaintances of Marley Jackson described him as a custom jewelry maker. Despite initial assumptions that the motive for the crime might have been related to his profession, it was noted that nothing of significant value was taken from his apartment, aside from the stolen bag. The arrests of Stanton and King marked significant progress in the investigation, but the case continued to draw attention as it moved through the legal system.
