ST. LOUIS — A St. Louis man on Wednesday admitted that he fatally shot a beloved football coach during a string of carjackings in 2017 and later led police on a pursuit after escaping from jail in 2019.
Kurt Wallace, 30, pleaded guilty Wednesday to two counts of discharging a firearm in furtherance of carjacking, one count of discharging a firearm in furtherance of carjacking resulting in death, and one count of escape.
As part of a plea deal, Wallace admitted to shooting three people during carjackings in 2017, the U.S. Attorney's Office for Missouri's Eastern District said. The victim of the final carjacking, Jaz Granderson, was killed. The 27-year-old was an assistant football coach at De Smet Jesuit High School.
According to the plea agreement, the first carjacking occurred on Sept. 16, 2017, when Wallace shot a driver in the shoulder in the 300 block of Walsh Street and took their Chevrolet Monte Carlo.
On Oct. 15, 2017, Wallace shot a driver in the leg in the 5800 block of Kennerly and took their Cadillac CTS.
The next day, Wallace and others took part in carjacking Granderson's Jeep Grand Cherokee. Wallace admitted to fatally shooting Granderson during the carjacking.
Wallace's codefendants, Jherrica Dixon and Floyd Barber, previously pleaded guilty in connection with Granderson's death and other carjackings.
Dixon admitted to luring people to locations where her then-boyfriend Wallace and others would rob them at gunpoint. The U.S. Justice Department said the group did this at least five times, the last of which resulted in Granderson's death.
As part of his plea, Wallace also admitted to escaping from jail in 2019 with fellow inmate James Flannel, who was being held on accusations of killing a cab driver and would later plead guilty. The pair carjacked a vehicle and led police on a multi-jurisdiction chase that ended when Wallace crashed and flipped the car.
Wallace's guilty plea concludes an investigation into a series of violent crimes committed in the fall of 2017, the U.S. Attorney's Office said. In total, the joint investigation by St. Louis police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives resulted in seven convictions.
Wallace's sentencing was set for Dec. 12. Both sides agreed as part of the plea to recommend a sentence of 60 years in federal prison.
