The woman who tracked down her stolen car and shot the people inside was sentenced Thursday.
On Thursday, Demesha Coleman, 38, was sentenced to 13 years in prison after a jury found her guilty of first-degree involuntary manslaughter and armed criminal action in the shooting death of 19-year-old Darius Jackson, a passenger in the stolen vehicle.
That same jury found her not guilty of six other counts, including the death of 49-year-old bystander Joseph Farrar and the injuring of another.
According to police, Demesha Coleman, 35, tracked down her stolen Hyundai Tucson to the Speedie gas station in the 8800 block of N. Broadway and shot and murdered the guy inside. An innocent bystander was killed in the process, while another man was badly injured.
Prosecutors claimed Coleman installed a GPS tracker in her vehicle in response to a rash of thefts and break-ins targeting Kia and Hyundai vehicles. Prosecutors claim Coleman plotted an attack on the vehicle thieves with her 19-year-old son and an unidentified gunman.
According to court filings, Coleman can be seen opening the front passenger door with her gun lifted, while an unknown male with her also opens the driver’s side door with his rifle raised.
Coleman may be seen shooting her gun, and the shootout begins. According to the records, the mystery male accompanying Coleman looked to be assisting her during the gunfire.
According to the records, Coleman initially claimed to officers she didn’t have a gun, but after seeing the surveillance video, she admitted she did have one and fired in self-defense.
The verdict recommended nine years in prison for first-degree involuntary manslaughter and four consecutive years for armed criminal activity. On Thursday, St. Louis Circuit Judge Madeline O’Connolly approved the recommendation and imposed the punishment.
