ROCK HILL, S.C. (CN2 News) – Jayson Tucker was sentenced to 6 years in a plea deal for the murder of Antonio Roddey who was shot and killed at Renew Our Community last November.
Roddey’s parents who have two children together say the sentence will provide no justice for their son, who was a father of six.
“I just believe that they did what was fast and convenient for them.” says Roddey’s mother, Loretta Gaither in frustration.She and his father, Ricky McClinton lovingly called Roddey “Tony”.”He was an exceptional young man. We were very close.” /RICKY
He says last November Tony was killed in a drug deal gone wrong at the ROC where he was a client.
His mother Loretta Gaither says because of his past run ins with the law, the man accused of murdering Tony, Jayson Tucker is getting off easy. Gaither says, “His wasn’t the best, but he surely did not deserve to be shot in the back of the head.”
And even though now Tucker is going to jail and it’s all supposed to be over, she says she and her son’s father still feel like they haven’t gotten justice. Roddey’s father Ricky McClinton believes Tucker’s intent was always to kill his son.
He says Tony who used to be a gang member had been taking steps to remove himself from that lifestyle, “They wanted to put my son’s record on display, he was the victim.”
But one of the risks his son had warned him about the last time they spoke was the possibility of death. He continued,”before we left we hugged, tell each other we loved, and then we’d part, go our separate ways. And I didn’t know that that would be the last time that I hugged him and told him I loved him though.”
That shooting at the ROC was in November of last year. There was a plea hearing here at the Moss Justice Center earlier, and though we were able to sit in, we were unable to record. The victim’s parents say despite their son’s past, the six year sentence was light, and there was no justice.
Gaither says it’s not fair, “Six years, but you give drug dealers or whatever, 30 years in jail.”
Inside of the courtroom Tucker was quiet as both of Tony’s parents addressed the court.
The judge asked him to speak up repeatedly throughout the hearing, but his plea was accepted, and he was given credit for nearly 220 days served.
For Tony’s parents, they say this will never be enough.
