In St. Louis, A St. Louis man who engaged in a series of violent carjackings, tragically took the life of a local football coach, and managed to escape from jail has been sentenced to 60 years in federal prison.
In the fall of 2017, Kurt Wallace, 31, committed three carjackings where he targeted unsuspecting drivers by luring them to specific locations through dating apps. He had assistance from a female co-defendant.
On October 17, 2017, an unfortunate incident occurred where Jaz Granderson, an assistant football coach at De Smet Jesuit High School, lost his life while his Jeep Grand Cherokee was stolen in St. Louis.
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Granderson’s mother, Reign Harris, displayed her anger in court towards the individual responsible for her son’s death.
She expressed her dissatisfaction with the amount of time that has been offered. You are a threat to society.
The conclusion of Wallace’s trial provides further resolution to a lengthy case spanning over six years. This complex case involved multiple individuals engaged in various criminal activities such as carjackings, homicides, robberies, and jailbreaks across the St. Louis region.
St. Louis Man Receives 60-Year Sentence for Coach’s Death and Violent Crime Spree
Prosecutor James C. Delworth expressed his hope that the 60-year term would provide some sense of closure to Wallace’s case. However, he acknowledged the unfortunate reality that no sentence can bring Granderson back.
Wallace’s early involvement in criminal activity began during his teenage years. He faced charges of assault and managed to escape from the city’s Medium Security Institution, commonly referred to as the workhouse. His escape partner was another inmate who was facing a murder accusation.
He served a sentence in state prison for those charges. Then, in 2017, a series of violent carjackings began in the city of St. Louis.
A driver of a 2005 Chevrolet Monte Carlo was shot in the shoulder on Walsh Street. Approximately one month later, he forcefully took control of a Cadillac CTS on Kennerly Avenue and injured the driver by shooting them in the leg.
In October, he encountered Granderson in the 5100 block of Minnesota Avenue, attempted to steal his Jeep, and tragically ended up taking his life.
Wallace was indicted in November 2017 and was subsequently ordered to be held in jail until the trial. In July 15, 2019, he and another federal inmate, James Flannel, who was later sentenced to life in prison for killing a Laclede cab driver during a 2018 carjacking, managed to create an improvised saw using broken parts of a hair clipper.
They managed to weaken a metal bar in their cell, successfully ripping it off and making their escape from the Lincoln County jail, where they were being held. A car was stolen and a police chase ensued, ultimately coming to an end in St. Louis County.
In September 2023, Wallace pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including carjacking, discharging a gun during carjackings, and escape.
Jherrica Dixon, his co-defendant and former girlfriend, has pleaded guilty to numerous carjackings and weapons offenses. She was responsible for arranging the meetings through dating apps. The judge handed down a 19-year prison sentence.
Floyd Barber, 28, was also implicated in Granderson’s carjacking and a separate, tragic drug robbery of 26-year-old Ladareace Pool in October 2017. In December, he received a 22-year prison sentence. Three additional individuals have been previously sentenced to prison for their involvement in Pool’s demise.