HOUSTON (KIAH) — A Houston woman who was the mastermind behind a vicious robbery in which one of her own employees was shot to death has been sentenced to life in prison, Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg announced.
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Dinesha Renee Jackson, 28, was convicted Friday of capital murder following a five-day trial for the Dec. 17, 2017, slaying of 20-year-old Dequan Donte Anderson. Jurors took less than an hour to reach a unanimous verdict, which came with an automatic sentence of life without the possibility of parole.
“This young man was set up by his own boss and cut down just days before Christmas,” Ogg said. “With this jury`s verdict, the defendant is headed to prison for the rest of her life and will never again harm anyone in our community.”
Anderson, who had moved from Louisiana to Houston, was a shift leader at a Dollar General store, where Jackson was an assistant manager.
The trial revealed how Jackson conspired with Kaila Alexine Nelson, who was convicted of capital murder in the case in 2020, to rob Anderson while he was transporting a money bag for the store.
The evidence prosecutors showed tried to prove that Jackson not only planned the attack, but texted Nelson when Anderson had left the store. Nelson then ambushed Anderson, and emptied her 9 mm handgun at him, hitting him four times, prosecutors said.
Anderson had a new life ahead of him at the time of the shooting, according to prosecutors. He was engaged to be married and working toward one day being a full-time professional photographer.
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Anderson’s fiancé, along with her family and his, filled the front row of the courtroom for Jackson`s trial, as they had for Nelson`s trial.
Nguyen noted that the Anderson family and that of his fiancé were both shattered by the murder, but that five years later, they were still side by side each and every day of the trial.
Jackson was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Lynn Nguyen and Keaton Forcht.
“When people participate in violent crimes, they often don`t think about the consequences to themselves, their victim or the victim`s family,” Forcht said.
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The Houston Police Department investigated the crime.
Anderson`s mother gave a victim-impact statement in which she addressed Jackson.
“I do believe that justice was served today, and I hope now that you will have the time to sit and think about what you have done,” she said.
