A Georgia man serving a life sentence for the 1998 murder of an Atlanta-area man in Mississippi has asked that state’s governor to commute his conviction.
From behind bars, Jodon Antonio Slaughter, 53, placed the necessary legal public notice in the classified advertising of the local newspaper, which is required by law in the event of such a request.
"His policy is to honor the judgment of the courts and respect the rights of crime victims and will substitute his judgment by granting a pardon only in instances where clear and convincing evidence is produced proving innocence." — gubernatorial spokesman Rivers Orman
The notice in The Biloxi Sun Herald states “friends or victims of this individual have a right to submit an oral or written statement to make a recommendation to the governor as to whether a sentence commutation should be granted or denied,” according to the newspaper, which reported that Gov. Phil Bryant was unlikely to grant the request.
“Governor Bryant has not issued any pardons during his terms of office,” Bryant’s spokesperson, Rivers Orman, told the Sun Herald. “His policy is to honor the judgment of the courts and respect the rights of crime victims and will substitute his judgment by granting a pardon only in instances where clear and convincing evidence is produced proving innocence.
“The procedure for applying for a pardon is to call the Parole Board and submit an application for the Board’s review. The Parole Board may make a recommendation for pardon to the Governor for his consideration,” the Sun Herald reported.
In 2000, a Harrison County jury found Slaughter guilty of killing Kelvin R. Reynolds, who had moved to Gulfport, Miss., from Lithonia, Ga., to start a new mobile communications business.
Police said Slaughter shot and killed Reynolds on April 29, 1998, after the two men got into an argument in the parking lot of a Gulfport apartment complex.
A witness identified Slaughter as the trigger man.
Prosecutors said Slaughter killed Reynolds to silence him.
Both men had become suspects in an $8 million Atlanta criminal enterprise that involved bank fraud, according to reports. Reynolds, who was never charged in the case, made the fatal decision to testify about Slaughter's involvement.
Slaughter has since pleaded guilty to several federal charges, including money laundering, possession of counterfeit securities and wire fraud, the Sun Herald reported.
The Supreme Court of Mississippi denied Slaughter’s appeal of his murder conviction in 2002 after a lower appellate court denied his motion for a new trial.
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