In the spring of 2015, the life of 18-year-old Michael Smith Jr., a Black male from Greenville, Mississippi, was tragically cut short. On the evening of April 22, Smith was at the Double Quick convenience store on Highway 82 in Greenville when he was fatally shot. The incident was part of a string of violence that shook the city over a three-day span, resulting in a total of three homicides.
The investigation into Smith's death led law enforcement to identify 23-year-old Kadarius Jackson
as the primary suspect. In November 2015, a Washington County grand jury indicted Jackson on the charge of first-degree murder. The path to justice, however, faced procedural delays, including two mistrials that were declared due to an insufficient number of jurors reporting for service. These setbacks prolonged the anguish for Smith's family, who awaited a resolution in the case.
Finally, on July 26, 2016, a breakthrough occurred when Kadarius Jackson pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of second-degree murder for his role in Michael Smith Jr.'s death. Following his plea, Jackson was sentenced to 35 years in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections. Under the terms of his sentence, he is to serve 28 years in prison, followed by a seven-year suspended sentence and five years of probation. District Attorney Dewayne Richardson stated that the resolution brought a sense of relief to Smith's family, knowing that justice had been served.
