Life in prison for man convicted of shooting death in school parking lot | Exclusive

On the witness stand, Roderick Kelvin Watson Jr.testified that he shot Joseph James Juarez Coles because "I wanted to live."

Watson said he thought Coles was armed. He said he did not know if Coles' friend, who was present at the time of the May 2024 shooting in the North Marion Middle School parking lot, had a weapon.

Defense lawyers Julia Williamson and Sean Gravel from the Public Defender's Office argued their client shot and killed Coles in self-defense. Assistant State Attorney Toby Hunt countered that Coles was unarmed and the shooting was premeditated first-degree murder.

The 12-member jury deliberated for a little more than an hour and half on Oct. 8 and returned a verdict of guilty of first-degree murder with a firearm. When polled by

the judge, the jurors one-by-one said their verdict was guilty.

Coles' father told the court his son was a family man who had plans and dreams. He said his son was smart, loving and a creator. He said his son was at a place to celebrate his children's achievements, and the defendant showed no remorse. He said he's staying strong.

Watson told the court that he's sorry, and he will be back.

Watson has been in custody for 870 days. The judge sentenced him to life in prison. Defense lawyers asked the judge to appoint the Public Defender's Office to represent him on appeal, and the judge did so.

The shooting

The trial began Oct. 6 with Gravel giving the opening statement for the defense. Williamson gave the closing argument. Hunt, with assistance from paralegal Cindi Henry, prosecuted the case.

There were 50 potential jurors in Circuit Judge Barbara Kissner Kwatkosky's courtroom on Oct. 5 for jury selection. Of that total, 14 people, nine men and five women, were selected by the lawyers after questioning by them and the judge.

The trial started about 9 a.m. each day. The trial at first was expected to last until Oct. 9. Family and friends from both the defendant and the victim were present during the trial.

At issue was whether Watson was justified in shooting Coles.

According to Marion County Sheriff's Office officials, Coles and his ex-wife had a disagreement on where their children would spend the night after an awards ceremony held inside the school. Coles wanted the children. His ex-wife wanted the children to come home with her since they were not yet out of school.

Watson, who was sitting in a car nearby, took a firearm from the vehicle, approached the location, and shot Coles. Deputies recovered the firearm used to shoot the victim. Coles wasn't armed, according to testimony presented in court.

Watson's testimony

When testifying in his own defense on Oct. 8, Watson said he was told that Coles was a boxer. He said he knew Coles' ex-wife from high school. He said they reconnected through social medica, and he moved to Marion County in 2022. He said he lived with the woman and her children.

Watson talked about several instances where he alleged Cole either threatened or picked a fight with him. Despite Coles' alleged animosity against the defendant, Watson said they had no problems with each other when they were alone.

On the day of the shooting, Watson said, they went to the school because one of the children was receiving an award. After the ceremony, Watson said, he sat in the car and overheard the disagreement between Coles and the children's mother about where the children would stay.

A gun belonging to the children's mother was in the vehicle. Watson grabbed it. Armed, he got out of the car and walked to where Coles, the children and their mother were standing.

He said Coles had balled up his fist. He thought the man was reaching for a gun.

"I was scared," Watson said.

Prosecutor questions Watson

Cross-examined by Hunt, Watson said he had possession of the gun before Coles and the children's mother were talking. Outside the vehicle, Watson said, Coles' friend told him to get back in the car. Ignoring the friend, Watson said he and Coles exchanged words.

The defendant said he told Coles to calm down. He told the prosecutor that he wasn't angry at Coles, and only wanted to leave after the event. Watson believed Coles had a weapon, so he shot him.

Authorities said Coles was shot four times, with two of the bullets hitting the victim in his back.

Watson agreed he shot Coles in the back, when the victim turned his back. He said he thought Coles posed a threat.

On the ground, Watson punched and kicked the victim, according to previous witness testimony. But Watson said he actually was hitting the ground and not Coles' body, which was nearby. He also said his contact lenses were out.

During the trial, the court was told that Watson celebrated after the shooting and stared at Coles' lifeless body. On the witness stand, Watson denied celebrating, and said he did not remember looking down on the victim after the incident.

Closing arguments

Before Watson's testimony, the defense had called Roy Bedard to testify about deadly force and how the mind operates under stress. The expert witness had a lengthy law enforcement career and is a law enforcement trainer.

Based on a prior ruling, Bedard was not allowed to talk about this particular case and could only provide general scenarios.

For instance, Bedard said if someone was bitten by a dog, then he or she will have a fear of dogs if they encounter a dog. Another example was about someone driving by a horrible crash. He said the next time the driver passes by the area where the incident occurred, then he or she will be reminded of the crash.

The defense concluded its case at the end of Watson's testimony.

Prosecutor Hunt told the jury during his closing argument that the case is about the defendant shooting Coles in front of his children. He said there were no threats, no arguments, no justifiable reason for the shooting.

The prosecutor said Watson had an intention to kill before stepping out of the car that day. Hunt said witnesses saw Coles attempting to get away after he was shot.

Hunt said Watson was the aggressor, and Watson emptied the gun on someone who was smaller and lighter than him. Watson was told not to get involved, but he did anyway, the prosecutor said.

In her closing argument, defense attorney Williamson said her client got involved because he was protecting others. She said Coles has a checkered past with the children's mother and Watson.

The lawyer said Watson is a hard worker and the last time he was involved in a fight was when he was much younger.

These cases are hard because someone lost their life, Williamson said. She said Watson reasonably believed Coles was a threat, and so he acted in legally justifiable self-defense.

The defense said Watson did not run away after the shooting. Instead, she said, he cooperated with authorities.

Jurors

Earlier coverage: Trial for man accused of fatal shooting outside North Marion Middle

Once final instructions were given, the court clerk announced the two jurors who served as alternates. One was a woman, the other a man. They were dismissed, leaving it to the eight men and four women on the jury to deliberate. The jury went to the back to discuss the case at 3:23 p.m.

At 4:57 p.m., jurors told a bailiff they had made up their minds. Before the jury returned to the courtroom, the clerk and a bailiff reviewed the evidence. The defendant, who sat in the back during breaks, was brought to the defense table.

Although Watson has been in custody, he was not handcuffed or shackled during the trial.

The jury entered at 5:08 p.m. and the verdict form was handed to a bailiff, who handed it to the judge. The court clerk read it aloud at 5:10 p.m. Watson was then handcuffed.

Contact Austin L. Miller at [e-mail]

This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: Life in prison for man convicted of shooting death in school parking lot | Exclusive