Man who killed witness to federal crime in Gulfport wants a pardon from Gov. Phil Bryant
A Georgia man wants Gov. Phil Bryant to commute his life sentence for the April 29, 1998, murder of man who had moved to Gulfport purportedly to set up a cellphone and pager business.
Jodon Antonio Slaughter, 53, shot and killed Kelvin R. Reynolds, of Lithonia, Ga., after the two argued in parking lot of River 10 Apartments on Klein Road in Gulfport.
A Harrison County jury convicted him on murder and he received a life sentence in 2000.
Slaughter ran the required legal notice to make the request for a reduction in his sentence in the Sun Herald classified ads.
The notice says “friends or victims of this individual have a right to submit an oral or written statement to make a recommendation to the governor as to whether a sentence commutation should be granted or denied.“
Any input can be provided over the to Gov. Phil Bryant’s legal division at 601-359-3150 and written statements should be mailed to to the governor’s legal division at P.O. Box 139, Jackson, 39202-0139.
It’s unlikely Slaughter will catch a break from the governor’s office.
Bryant has vowed to respect a jury’s decision in sentencing. and has said he would implement a pardon in the event of a wrongful conviction.
“Governor Bryant has not issued any pardons during his terms of office,” Bryant’s spokesperson, Rivers Orman, said. “His policy is to honor the judgment of the courts and respect the rights of crime victims and will substitute his judgment by granting a pardon only in instances where clear and convincing evidence is produced proving innocence.
“The procedure for applying for a pardon is to call the Parole Board and submit an application for the Board’s review. The Parole Board may make a recommendation for pardon to the Governor for his consideration.”
Slaughter was identified by a witness as the killer.
He reportedly killed Reynolds to keep him from testifying about Slaughter’s involvement in a criminal enterprise in Atlanta involving counterfeit checks and stolen vehicles. The scheme defrauded banks and others of an estimated $8 million.
Reynolds was another suspect in the federal crime, though he was never charged in the federal case.
Slaughter, however, pleaded guilty to several federal charges, including money laundering, possession of counterfeit securities and wire fraud in the case that defrauded banks and others of an estimated $8 million.
In an unrelated classified ad, convicted felon Lavern Jeffery Moran, 49, filed a request for the governor to commute his May 18, 2015, sentence for burglary of unoccupied dwellings in Harrison County.
Moran was sentenced to a total of 20 years in prison on two counts of burglary, with 10 years to serve behind bars.
This story was originally published December 6, 2019 at 1:45 PM.
