WILMINGTON — A man accused in the 2020 murder of a UNCW student pleaded guilty in a courtroom Monday afternoon.
Jaquan Cortez Jackson, charged with second-degree murder, entered a plea agreement before jury selection began. He was accused of killing 23-year-old Carly Rae Baron on Halloween in 2020 along Wrightsville Avenue.
According to previous PCD reporting, the Wilmington Police Department noted a verbal altercation took place among a group of people and Jackson following a traffic collision. The parties did not know one another prior to the incident.
Though Baron was not a part of the accident, she was shot after Jackson fired a gun.
Officers were on a call nearby for a noise complaint when they heard gunfire. Upon arriving at the scene, they saw a vehicle flee, which law enforcement followed and were able to apprehend Jackson.
Another officer attempted life-saving measures on Baron. She was transported to the hospital where she perished from her injuries.
Jackson was given 20 to 25 years in prison for the second-degree murder charge and an additional 16 to 29 months for discharging a firearm.
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