Joseph Coates and Co-Defendant Joseph Walker fatally shot Marvin Jackson Jr. in December 2023
Baltimore, Md. (May 14, 2026) – Today, the Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office announced that Defendant Joseph Coates was sentenced to Life plus 20 years for Felony Murder, Robbery with a Deadly Weapon, Use of a Firearm in the Commission of a Crime of Violence, Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person, and related firearms offenses. Coates’ co-defendant, Joseph Walker, was previously found guilty of Second-Degree Murder, Robbery, and related gun offenses and sentenced to 25 years of incarceration in February. Assistant State’s Attorney Amy Brown prosecuted this case.
“This broad daylight shooting was an extraordinarily dangerous act of violence that not only took someone’s life, but put everyone in the vicinity at risk. A young man lost his life because of the reckless and senseless actions of these defendants, and his family endures that unimaginable loss every day,” said State’s Attorney Ivan J. Bates. “The sentences imposed in these cases reflect the seriousness of these crimes and our unwavering commitment to holding violent offenders accountable. I applaud the amazing work by ASA Brown and BPD’s Homicide detectives who worked diligently to ensure justice was served in this case.”
On December 15, 2023, at approximately 5:33 p.m., Baltimore Police responded to the 1800 block of Aiken Street in response to a ShotSpotter alert. Upon arrival, they found victim Marvin Jackson Jr. unresponsive and suffering from a gunshot wound to the neck. He was transported to Johns Hopkins Hospital, where he was pronounced deceased.
Detectives recovered surveillance footage that showed two males getting out of the back of a white Volkswagen, then approaching the victim in the middle of the street. One suspect was later identified as Joseph Walker, and the other as Joseph Coates.
After the defendants briefly interacted with the victim, Defendant Coates shot him. The victim then fell in the street, and both defendants approached him. Defendant Coates rifled through the victim’s pockets, and Defendant Walker bent over and picked something off the ground near the victim’s body. Both defendants then fled to the white Volkswagen parked in a nearby parking lot and drove away.
Detectives tracked the Volkswagen to the J. Van Story Branch Apartments on 11 W. 20th Street. Defendant Coates is prohibited from possessing a firearm due to a previous conviction for Second-Degree Assault in Anne Arundel County.