St. Louis – Kurt Wallace, 30, admitted today to a spree of violence that included multiple armed carjackings, a brazen escape from jail, and the cold-blooded murder of Jaz Granderson, a beloved football coach at De Smet Jesuit High School. Wallace pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Ronnie L. White, with sentencing scheduled for December 12, 2023. Both the prosecution and defense have agreed to recommend a 60-year federal prison sentence.
The crime wave began on September 16, 2017, when Wallace shot the driver of a 2005 Chevrolet Monte Carlo in the shoulder during a carjacking on Walsh Street. Less than a month later, on October 15, 2017, he carjacked a Cadillac CTS, again shooting the driver – this time in the leg – in the 5800 block of Kennerly. But it was the following day that the violence turned fatal. Wallace was involved in the carjacking of a Jeep Grand Cherokee driven by Coach Granderson, and during that encounter, he fatally shot the coach.
Indicted by a federal grand jury in November 2017, Wallace didn’t stay behind bars for long. On July 15, 2019, he escaped from jail, teaming up with fellow inmate James Flannel, 43, to carjack another vehicle. The pair led police on a multi-jurisdiction chase until Wallace crashed and flipped the stolen car. Flannel is already serving a life sentence for the fatal carjacking of Laclede Cab Company driver Boris Iouioukine in 2018, and awaits sentencing on charges related to the escape and subsequent carjacking.
This wasn’t a solo operation. The investigation, a joint effort by the Saint Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, has already brought six others to justice. Jherrica Dixon, 30, pleaded guilty to eight felonies in May 2019, admitting to setting up victims for Wallace and his crew. She faces a mandatory minimum of 27 years in prison. Floyd Barber, 28, admitted to participating in the Granderson carjacking and a separate fatal drug robbery, and faces a recommended 30-year sentence. Jerell Henderson, 33, received 42 ½ years for his role in the robbery and murder of Ladareace Pool. Larenta Jones, 30, and Stephan Jones, 33, also face significant prison time.
The case reveals a pattern of calculated violence, with Dixon allegedly arranging meetings specifically for the purpose of carjacking. Barber also confessed to the September 9, 2017, carjacking of a Kia Optima and the fatal robbery of Pool on October 3, 2017. The sentencing hearings for Dixon and Barber are still pending, but the guilty plea of Kurt Wallace brings a measure of closure to a case that has haunted the St. Louis community for years.
U.S. Attorney Sayler A. Fleming’s office emphasized the seriousness of the crimes and the dedication of law enforcement in bringing Wallace and his accomplices to justice. This conviction serves as a stark reminder of the devastating consequences of gun violence and the relentless pursuit of those who prey on innocent citizens. The investigation remains open, with authorities continuing to examine any remaining connections to this violent network.
Related Federal Cases
- James Flannel, Carjacking Murder, MO 2024 · Kansas
- Laveal David Jones, Carjacking and Murder, Missouri 2024 · Illinois
- St. Louis Carjacking Duo Get Over a Decade Behind Bars · Illinois
- Alexander Gardiner, Sextorting a Minor, St. Louis MO, 2023 · Maryland
- Alexander Gardiner, Sextortion of Minor, St. Louis MO, 2023 · Missouri
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