Don Wardlaw saw a pickup truck following him on a Gwinnett County road, so he made a U-turn to get away, according to investigators.
But Michael Charles Jackson kept following Wardlaw and fired two shots, causing Wardlaw to crash in the front yard of a home on Rockbridge Road in January 2022. Jackson, 61, was later arrested and this week was found guilty of malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault, possession of a firearm during a felony and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, the Gwinnett district attorney said.
Jackson, who represented himself, was sentenced Thursday to life in prison plus 15 years without the possibility of parole.
“It is unfortunate that the mere act of driving could lead to this murder,” District Attorney Patsy Austin-Gatson said in a statement. “We hope that Mr. Wardlaw’s family will begin to heal from this tragedy.”
Credit: John Spink / John.Spink@ajc.com
Credit: John Spink / John.Spink@ajc.com
On Jan. 27, 2022, homeowner Dennis Marez told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution he heard Wardlaw’s SUV crash into a tree. Marez said the man, covered in blood, said a few words, but Marez, who primarily speaks Spanish, could not make them out.
Wardlaw, 46, died before officers arrived.
“He was a bright light, he was funny and loved to joke,” Wardlaw’s obituary states. “Most of all, Don loved his family, he loved people and he saw good in everyone.”
In addition to his parents, Wardlaw is survived by a daughter and a son.
Jackson was arrested a week after the shooting during a routine traffic stop stemming from an outstanding bench warrant from Clayton County, the DA’s office said. When investigators searched his home, they found the box and magazines for a handgun matching the weapon used in the shooting. The GBI also found gunshot residue in Jackson’s vehicle, the DA’s office said.
Jackson had been held in the Gwinnett jail since March 2, 2022, booking records show.
Previously, Jackson was convicted in 1987 for second-degree murder in Cumberland County, North Carolina, and in 2016 for disorderly conduct involving a firearm in Rockdale County. He was released on the murder conviction on Dec. 15, 1993, according to the North Carolina Department of Corrections.
About the Author
