Man Gets Life for Shooting Death of Robbery Victim in Ferguson

A man was sentenced to life in prison in the shooting death of a Ferguson man in February 2011. He also pleaded guilty to a separate robbery in Hazelwood.

Quinton Jackson, 22, of the 4200 block of Enright Avenue in St. Louis, pleaded guilty Thursday to second-degree murder, first-degree robbery and two counts of armed criminal action regarding the Ferguson shooting.

Police said Jackson shot and killed Lawrence Valiant, 29, of Ferguson. Jackson and Jacqueline Baron, 18, of Alton, tried to rob Valiant outside his apartment.

Court documents indicate that Valiant met Baron in an Internet chat room. Jackson and Baron then went to Valiant’s apartment to rob him. When he resisted, Jackson shot him.

A month earlier, Jackson was involved in another robbery and shooting in Hazelwood.

Jackson also pleaded guilty to first-degree robbery, first-degree assault, unlawful use of a weapon and three counts of armed criminal action for the Hazelwood crime.

Jackson was sentenced to life in prison for the murder and accompanying armed criminal action charge and 15 years in prison each on all other charges. The 15-year sentences run concurrently to each other.

The life sentence will run consecutively to the sentences for the Hazelwood charges.

Jackson and another person were in a 1998 Buick Century with two brothers in the 8500 block of Tally Ho Drive when Jackson robbed one of the brothers at gunpoint at about noon Jan. 11, 2011, according to a court document.

Jackson then got out of the car and shot one of the victims, the report reads. The victims drove off. Jackson also fired shots at the victims’ car from 8440 Pershall Road, about a block away from the robbery. One shot hit the car.