Story

Published: Saturday, February 3, 2007

City police arrest second suspect, seek third

Print Story

Email to Friend

Discuss this story

A suspect, accused of being the triggerman, was arrested Friday.

By PATRICIA MEADE

VINDICATOR CRIME REPORTER

YOUNGSTOWN — Two men charged with the slaying last spring of an Auto Zone clerk are in custody and police issued this warning for the third suspect, Reginald K. Everson: Turn yourself in — we won't stop until we find you.

The first suspect to be arrested, Jamaad Jackson, 18, of Wychwood Lane was picked up Thursday afternoon where he worked in Austintown. Because the crime occurred when he was a juvenile, his arraignment will take place next week in Mahoning County Juvenile Court on charges of murder and aggravated robbery. The case is then expected to be transferred to Mahoning County Common Pleas Court, where he will be tried as an adult.

Warrants were issued early Friday morning for Everson, 20, and Melvin T. Dixon Jr., 23, both of Youngstown. Both are charged with murder and aggravated robbery. Everson had previously been sought by detectives as a person of interest in the case.

Dixon was arrested around 2:15 p.m. Friday at his girlfriend's house in the 200 block of Crandall Avenue, said Deputy U.S. Marshal Dean Michael, head of the local marshals' fugitive task force.

Michael said his unit, members of the FBI/Mahoning Valley Violent Crimes Task Force and Youngstown and Liberty police aided in the arrest. He said Liberty got involved because a house in the township was surrounded during the search for Dixon.

Dixon is expected to be arraigned Monday in municipal court.

Warning

At a press conference Friday, Capt. Kenneth Centorame, chief of detectives, said whoever aids and abets Everson in any fashion — food, shelter, cell phone, transportation, whatever — will be charged.

"I would suggest Mr. Everson turn himself in," Centorame said. "We won't stop until we find him."

Detective Sgt. Pat Kelly, lead investigator on the case, said those who provided tips that led to the suspects will remain anonymous. "We had [suspects'] names early on and then the reward kicked in and one thing led to another," he said.

Auto Zone, which had first offered $10,000, raised the reward to $25,000 last week during a press conference at the store.

Jackson, Everson and Dixon are charged in the May 2, 2006 shooting death of Edward Agee, 52, of Star Street. Agee was gunned down during a robbery attempt by three masked suspects who entered the Auto Zone, 1960 McCartney Road, just before closing time.

Police Chief Jimmy Hughes said Jackson, Everson and Dixon are the three who entered the store. The chief said detectives believe Dixon was the one who shot Agee.

Others sought

Hughes said the investigation continues for one, possibly two more suspects. One, he said, could have been the getaway driver.

He said an enormous number of tips were received after Auto Zone raised the reward, adding the investigation had been "dead in the water."

Records show Dixon pleaded guilty in mid-December 2006 to trafficking in crack cocaine. Sentencing is set for Thursday in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court.

Some of Jackson's family members, meanwhile, showed up Friday in municipal court, expecting him to be arraigned there. Kelly explained to them that the charges are pending in juvenile court.

"He's been a great, marvelous kid," said Jamaad Jackson's cousin Sherwood Jackson, associate minister at Metropolitan Baptist Church on Rayen Avenue. "This hit me like a brick."

The minister said he had known Agee since preschool and noted the Auto Zone clerk had always been helpful.

meade@vindy.com

Saturday, February 3, 2007