A man convicted of a deadly shooting outside a Baltimore park has been sentenced to life in prison plus 20 years after prosecutors claimed he shot and robbed a victim in broad daylight in December 2023.
According to the Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office, Joseph Coates was sentenced to life in prison plus 20 years for felony murder, robbery with a deadly weapon, use of a firearm in the commission of a violent crime, possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, and associated weapons charges.
According to the State Attorney’s Office, Coates and a co-defendant, Joseph Walker, shot and killed Marvin Jackson Jr. in December 2023.
“This broad daylight shooting was an extraordinarily dangerous act of violence that not only took someone’s life, but put everyone in the vicinity at risk. A young man lost his life because of the reckless and senseless actions of these defendants, and his family endures that unimaginable loss every day,” State’s Attorney Ivan J. Bates said. “The sentences imposed in these cases reflect the seriousness of these crimes and our unwavering commitment to holding violent offenders accountable. I applaud the amazing work by ASA Bown and BPD’s Homicide detectives who worked diligently to ensure justice was served in this case.”
Walker was previously convicted of second-degree murder, robbery, and gun-related offenses and sentenced to 25 years in prison in February, according to the agency.
Amy Brown, an assistant state’s attorney, prosecuted the case.
According to prosecutors, the shooting occurred on December 15, 2023, at around 5:33 p.m., when Baltimore police arrived to the 1800 block of Aiken Street following a ShotSpotter warning. Jackson was found unresponsive with a gunshot wound to the neck and was sent to Johns Hopkins Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
According to prosecutors, detectives obtained security tape showing two individuals stepping out of the back of a white Volkswagen and approaching Jackson in the middle of the roadway. The two people were later identified as Walker and Coates.
According to prosecutors, Coates shot Jackson after only a brief interaction with him. Jackson had fallen in the roadway, and both defendants approached him. Coates rifled through Jackson’s pockets, while Walker bent over and collected something off the ground near Jackson’s body, according to the State Attorney’s Office. According to authorities, the two escaped to a neighboring parking lot and sped away in a white Volkswagen.
Detectives traced the Volkswagen to the J. Van Story Branch Apartments at 11 W. 20th St.
Prosecutors said Coates is forbidden from possessing a firearm due to a previous second-degree assault conviction in Anne Arundel County.
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