Court: Columbus man killed during drug-deal robbery

Ronald Davis was shot and killed Nov. 15 in Columbus as two brothers tried to rob him during a drug deal arranged by a mutual friend, a prosecutor said Friday in Muscogee Superior Court.

That homicide at 4336 17th Ave. led to the arrests of Saleem Jackson of LaGrange, Ga., and Dylan Haskell of Columbus, each of whom asked Judge Maureen Gottfried to set bonds in the murder case.

Those two suspects were in court, but the alleged triggerman was not, because he is not in the Muscogee County Jail.

He’s in the Troup County Jail, facing charges unrelated to Davis’ slaying, said Assistant District Attorney Kimberly Schwartz.

Police identified him as Valintino Tucker, 23, whom Schwartz said is Jackson’s older brother.

She said Haskell was the go-between who set up the deal between Davis and the two brothers. Haskell maintains he was unaware of the brothers’ plan to rob Davis.

The robbery did not go as planned, Schwartz said: Jackson went into Davis’ residence with Haskell, and during the deal he pulled out a 9mm pistol, aimed at Davis and pulled the trigger.

The gun misfired.

Davis fought back, and during the struggle Tucker, also armed with a 9mm, came from the car outside and shot through the door, fatally wounding Davis, Schwartz said. Haskell retreated to a rear room during the fight and later fled, she said.

Davis, 36, died the next day at the Midtown Medical Center. A neighbor said he was shot in the head.

Schwartz said Jackson was on probation for a burglary in Washington County, Ga., so he also is charged with violating that. He also has gang associations, she said.

Police first tracked down Haskell, 19, who cooperated in the investigation, Schwartz said. The two brothers later tried to lure him to LaGrange, likely intending to harm him, she said.

Gottfried set a $500,000 bond for Jackson, 20.

Then she heard Haskell’s motion for bond.

Schwartz again recounted the prosecution’s account of the homicide, adding that Haskell is a convicted felon who met Jackson while in prison and later agreed to set up the drug deal for him. Haskell also was on probation at the time for a first-degree burglary charge, she said.

Haskell’s attorney Elise Miller argued he was not a flight risk if released on bond, because he has lived here nine years and has two daughters, ages 6 and 3, with a third child on the way. She reiterated Haskell’s claim that he had no clue that the brothers planned to rob Davis.

Gottfried set Haskell’s bond at $150,000 bond.

This story was originally published April 14, 2017 at 3:13 PM with the headline "Court: Columbus man killed during drug-deal robbery."