In the early hours of a Saturday in June 2018, the life of Jason Blair Roberts, a 46-year-old Black/African American man from Davenport, Iowa, was tragically cut short. Just after 2 a.m. on June 9th, Roberts was shot and fatally wounded in downtown Davenport. First responders arrived to find him with life-threatening injuries, and he was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.
The incident that led to Roberts' death began as a fight outside a bar.
Known as a peaceful man and a pillar of his community, Roberts had attempted to intervene and break up the altercation. It was during this act of peacemaking that he was shot three times. His death was a shock to his family and the community, who knew him as a loving father, son, brother, and a dedicated community volunteer. Roberts was actively involved in coaching youth sports and was a founder of "Boots on the Ground," a grassroots organization aimed at ending gun violence in the Quad Cities area.
The investigation into the senseless killing of Jason Roberts led to the arrest of a suspect, Deondra Thomas, who was 37 at the time. In January 2019, Thomas stood trial for the murder of Roberts. Key testimony during the trial came from Thomas's own cousin, who stated that Thomas had admitted to the shooting as they drove away from the scene. Other witnesses also testified to seeing Thomas raise his arm as if drawing a gun, hearing the shots, and then seeing him calmly walk away.
After a trial that lasted several days, the jury deliberated for a short time before returning a guilty verdict. Deondra Thomas was convicted of first-degree murder and possession of a firearm by a felon. The conviction brought a sense of justice for the family of Jason Roberts, though it could not bring back the man who had been a positive force in so many lives. For his crime, Thomas faced a mandatory sentence of life in prison.
