Man convicted of murdering teen at Muskogee mall
BY AP Wire Service
Saturday, July 21, 2012
7/21/12 at 3:24 AM
MUSKOGEE (AP) - A jury convicted a man of first-degree murder Friday in the fatal shooting of a teenager at a Muskogee mall more than two years ago.
The panel deliberated for more than four hours before finding Dondray Fowler guilty of murder and assault and battery with a deadly weapon.
Jurors recommended a sentence of life in prison with parole possible, the Muskogee Phoenix reported.
Fowler, 21, was accused of fatally shooting Jarrod Reed, 17, and wounding four others on April 10, 2010, at Arrowhead Mall.
His attorneys had argued that Fowler fired in self-defense because he was intimidated during an argument between rival gangs, called the "northsiders" and the "southsiders."
Fowler, who didn't testify, was thought to be affiliated with the "southsiders."
But prosecutors said Fowler intentionally shot Reed.
During closing arguments, District Attorney Larry Moore showed jurors a mall surveillance image of Reed.
In the next image, captured about two seconds after the previous one, Reed was nowhere to be seen.
"Now he's out of the picture and very shortly will be out of this world," Moore said. "This is the last picture of Jarrod Reed alive."
Defense attorney L. Wayne Woodyard argued that Fowler was being blamed for a shooting that was part of a larger gang dispute at the mall. Woodyard told jurors that by charging Fowler with murder, and not leveling charges against any alleged "northside" gang members, prosecutors had "climbed in bed" with the "northside."
"I submit to you these shootings would not have happened were it not for the conduct of the northsiders," he said. "Unfortunately, they chose another course."
Moore addressed the jury again, telling the panel he hadn't taken sides in the case, just presented the evidence as he saw it.
"If you think Larry Moore has climbed in bed with the northsiders, then cut this man loose," Moore said, pointing to Fowler. "Have you ever heard a prosecutor say that before? I doubt it."
Original Print Headline: Man convicted in deadly Muskogee mall shooting
Associated Images:
Dondray Fowler: He was accused of fatally shooting Jarrod Reed, 17, and wounding four others on April 10, 2010, at Arrowhead Mall. His attorneys had argued that Fowler, 21, fired in self-defense because he was intimidated during an argument between rival gangs, called the "northsiders" and the "southsiders."
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