ST. LOUIS — Less than 24 hours after a jury convicted a man of killing a retired St. Louis police captain, prosecutors agreed to a plea deal that let the getaway driver walk out of jail.
"The city needs more citizens like Mark Jackson," said Terry Niehoff, Jackson’s attorney during a hearing Thursday. “He came forward at great personal risk to himself to tell the truth.”
Jackson testified against Stephan Cannon Tuesday, saying he drove Cannon to the murder scene at Lee’s Pawn Shop on June 2, 2020 to loot the store along with others during the unrest that followed the death of George Floyd.
St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner’s Office charged Jackson with seven crimes – including second-degree murder.
He’s been at the City Justice Center ever since – 762 days to be exact.
In exchange for his testimony against Cannon – which included identifying him from surveillance footage taken of the shooting that night – prosecutors struck a deal with him.
Judge Theresa Counts Burke accepted the deal, which dismissed five of the seven charges against him – including the murder charge. She sentenced him to five years of probation, with a 15-year prison sentence should he violate it.
"I want you to be successful on this probation, but I will be watching," Burke said. "I hope this is the end of your involvement in the criminal justice system."
Nobody other than reporters and court staff attended Thursday’s hearing, which happened before the same judge in the same courtroom where Cannon’s trial took place.
Jackson declined an interview request following the hearing.
Chief Trial Assistant Circuit Attorney Marvin Teer told the judge the only other conviction in Jackson’s record was a stealing charge.
Dorn’s daughter, Debra, was there when Jackson testified Tuesday against her father’s killer – a man Jackson called “a close friend” he had known for about seven years on the stand.
“Just listening to the key witness today, him feeling that he wanted to step up and do the right thing, that brought some peace,” she said.
Dorn’s widow, St. Louis Police Sgt. Ann Dorn echoed her thoughts in a statement she sent to 5 On Your Side following Thursday’s hearing.
"After hearing all of the testimony and facts in court over the last several days, I'm in agreement with the deal made. Jackson did not pull the trigger killing my beloved husband, David. In the end, he tried to do what was right. I think the sentence is fair and just. I hope he can take this as a sign and turn his life around."
Teer told the judge, Ann Dorn also wanted to help Jackson move forward in his life in whatever way she could.
Jackson’s attorney said his advice to his client is to move out of St. Louis as soon as possible.
Murder trial
During Cannon’s trial, defense attorneys called Jackson a liar.
“In order to convict Mr. Cannon of first-degree murder you have to believe every word of a man who lies as much as he breathes,” said Senior Public Defender Brian Horneyer, noting he told police about five different versions of the events that happened the night Dorn was killed.
Horneyer also pressed Jackson while he was on the stand about the deal he had pending with prosecutors in exchange for his testimony.
Teer countered by admitting Jackson initially lied to police, but that he believed he was telling the truth on the stand.
“If he was going to lie now, he would want to tell a good one,” Teer told the jurors during his closing argument Wednesday. “He would say he saw Cannon shoot David Dorn.”
Jackson only identified Cannon as the man wearing a black Adidas track suit, white baseball hat and facemask who was seen on surveillance images getting into Jackson’s car after shooting Dorn.
Defense attorneys argued there was no way to identify their client from the images.
The jury disagreed, nd convicted Cannon after three hours of deliberation of six counts, including first-degree murder. It carries a mandatory life sentence.
“Mr. Cannon will never get out of prison,” Teer said.
He is expected to be formally sentenced in September.