ELYRIA — Brenda Rutherford wasn’t going to speak at the sentencing hearing of Deshun Jackson for his role in her son’s shooting death, but after Jackson apologized, she told him of the damage he’d left in his wake.
KRISTIN BAUER | CHRONICLE
Deshun Jackson stands next to his attorney Kenneth Ortner as he speaks during his sentencing in Judge John Miraldi’s court room on Thursday afternoon, May 26.
“I apologize from the bottom of my heart,” Jackson said Thursday as he bowed his head. “If I could go back and change things I would, but I can’t. I’m sorry.”
Rutherford’s son, Adam McNeal, was shot and killed when Jackson and two other men went to his Colonial Oaks mobile home to rob him of marijuana and cash.
“I’m just glad you stood up, you manned up for what you guys did,” a tearful Rutherford said after Jackson had finished speaking. “Not only did you take my son away, but do you realize that now your mother doesn’t have you because you guys decided to do something stupid?”
“Yes, ma’am,” the 21-year-old Jackson replied in a hushed voice.
“You ruined her life, my life, your life, my grandchildren’s life,” Rutherford continued. “I hope you can sit there and think about every day what you’ve done.”
The exchange prompted an emotional Lorain County Common Pleas Judge John Miraldi to leave the bench while he composed himself, the first time he’s had to do so during his time on the bench.
“It’s difficult sometimes. My condolences to the family,” Miraldi said, clearing his throat as he retook the bench. “…It’s not very often in this courtroom that people man up to what they’ve done. He is going to be severely punished and have plenty of time to think about this. I don’t know the details, but there’s clearly remorse here. There’s clearly a quest for forgiveness and those are good first steps.”
Miraldi imposed a prison term of 18 years to life on Jackson, a sentence that had been agreed to by prosecutors before the hearing began, and Jackson entered guilty pleas to murder, aggravated robbery, aggravated burglary, felonious assault, burglary and robbery charges. Prosecutors dropped an additional charge of aggravated murder as part of the plea bargain.
Jackson will serve the same prison term that the gunman in the case, Terence Nevins, will receive when he is sentenced. Nevins pleaded out in the case earlier this year.
Elyria police have said that William Shepherd, who still faces charges in the case, drove Nevins and Jackson to the 23-year-old McNeal’s mobile home April 7, 2015.
Jackson and Nevins went to the door while Shepherd remained behind in their borrowed PT Cruiser.
When McNeal answered the door, a masked Nevins was holding a gun to Jackson, who was pretending to be a hostage, police have said.
Kirstin Bell, McNeal’s girlfriend who was in the mobile home with the couple’s two children, told police that McNeal demanded that Nevins remove his mask, and when he didn’t, McNeal drew a knife sheathed at his side.
Bell told officers that she fled the room when she heard the first gunshot and later heard four more shots before coming out of hiding to find McNeal bleeding to death on the floor. McNeal died before emergency medical personnel arrived.
After Shepherd and Jackson were arrested, Shepherd led officers to where the hidden .22 caliber pistol that Nevins is believed to have used in the robbery, police have said.
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