The three white men who pleaded guilty to charges linked to the murder of a Black man in Jacksonville, Florida, are being sentenced this month for their roles in his death.
Ryan Nichols, Daniel DeGuardia, and Holden Doldson were all arrested after the body of 39-year-old Gary Jackson was found behind a dumpster on May 2, 2023.
According to police, all three men were seen chasing the victim in a vehicle after 2 a.m. that morning. At one point, as Jackson attempted to hide behind a dumpster, Nichols jumped out of the car and chased him on foot. Shortly afterward, Nichols was seen getting back into the car, and the group left the scene. Police found Jackson’s body later that morning with multiple gunshot wounds.
All three men were arrested the next day. Nichols, 20, was charged with second-degree murder and tampering with evidence, while DeGuardia and Dodson were charged as accessories after the fact.
Last week, a judge sentenced Nichols to 40 years in prison.
Dodson and DeGuardia both testified during Nichols’ sentencing. Dodson said that they were all drinking and doing cocaine the night of Jackson’s murder. Dodson and Nichols were the only ones who were armed.
According to Dodson’s testimony, Nichols was the one who started chasing Jackson and, after a brief pursuit, he came back to the car and accused Jackson of stealing his gun. DeGuardia said that when they got into the car, Nichols told him where to drive.
After they found Jackson, DeGuardia claimed Nichols took Dodson’s gun and got out.
“[Nichols] did say something along the lines of I know where you’re hiding. You’re about to get shot,” DeGuardia said.
Dodson and DeGuardia both said Nichols shot Jackson several times behind a dumpster and when Nichols returned to the car, they all drove away.
“[Nichols] said, ‘I just blew that N-word’s head off,’ was one the things that were said. And, ‘nobody steals from me.’ Almost bragging,” Dodson said.
News4JAX reported last year that witnesses told the station the three men had been interacting with Jackson in what they suspected was a narcotics situation before the encounter took a turn for the worse.
“He took off with their pistol because one of the guys showed him his pistol and was waving it around,” the station reported one witness said.
According to police, the group thought Jackson was homeless, which Jackson’s wife firmly denied.
“He was never homeless, he had family,” Juanita Jackson told Action News Jax last year. “He’s been to jail a couple of times, but other than that he was a good husband and a good dad to all of his kids. It’s just messed up how they took him away for nothing.”
The police report on Jackson’s death revealed that he pleaded for his life when Nichols opened fire, saying “Please don’t do this.”
Authorities said that Nichols threw the gun he used to shoot Jackson over a bridge, indicating evidence tampering.
No one was charged with a hate crime for the murder. At the time of the arrests, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said there was no evidence to suggest that bias or prejudice were factors in the killing.
Jackson’s family members have asked the judge to impose the maximum prison terms for all three men.
“Three monsters against one Black man. They chased my uncle down,” Jackson’s niece Annequineice Johnson told ActionNewsJax.
“Ryan, Daniel, and Holden damned me the second I woke up thanking God for letting me see another day and praying for my family and friends,” Jackson’s aunt Leanne Butler said.
Dodson, 22, and DeGuardia, 19, face a maximum of 15 years in prison each. They’ll be sentenced on June 28.
