HOT SPRINGS -- Two teens charged with capital murder in the shooting death of a Hot Springs man in March planned to rob him during a drug deal, according to documents filed last week in Garland County Circuit Court.
Laquan Vontae Paskel, 18, and Morgan Bailey Tollefson, 18, both of Hot Springs, are scheduled for arraignment June 4 in circuit court. Paskel was arrested March 24, and Tollefson was arrested March 26 in the March 23 death of 21-year-old Keon Lashawn Jackson.
Paskel and Tollefson face felony charges of capital murder, punishable by life in prison or the death penalty; aggravated robbery, punishable by up to life in prison; and theft of property more than $1,000, punishable by up to six years in prison.
Paskel and Tollefson had pleaded innocent to the charges in Garland County District Court, but the charges were bound over to circuit court Monday.
Paskel was charged initially with first-degree murder, punishable by up to life in prison, but the charge was amended to capital murder March 25.
Hot Springs police had said in a news release that officers believed the slaying was drug-related, but no other information was released. A gag order limiting pretrial publicity in the case was issued in district court and reissued Monday by Judge Marcia Hearnsberger in circuit court, but probable-cause affidavits for both suspects were filed.
According to the affidavit for Paskel, police were called shortly before 2:30 a.m. March 23 to 241 Autumn St. regarding a possible shooting. Officers found Jackson on the concrete in front of the apartments in a pool of blood. He was unresponsive, and emergency personnel were unable to revive him.
Garland County Coroner Stuart Smedley pronounced Jackson dead about 3 a.m., and an initial examination revealed what appeared to be a gunshot wound in the right side of his neck.
During the investigation, detective Mark Fallis contacted a witness, identified as Tollefson, who told him a person she knew as Booman, whose first name she believed was Laquan, asked her if she could get a half-ounce of marijuana, according to the affidavit.
She said she called Jackson, and he agreed to meet her to sell her the marijuana for $80, the document said. She said Booman was going to pay for the marijuana and wanted Jackson to meet him in the 700 block of Spring Street, the document said. Tollefson said she went to the location and saw Jackson's gray 2012 Dodge Avenger in the parking lot, the affidavit said.
She said she approached the passenger side of Jackson's car and as she opened the door, Booman and an unknown black male ran up to the driver's side door, according to the affidavit. She told police that Booman opened the door, pointed a black handgun at Jackson and shot "four to five times," the document said.
Tollefson said Jackson crawled over the passenger seat, exited through the passenger side door and fled on foot toward Grand Avenue. Autumn Street, where Jackson was found, runs parallel to Spring Street, one block over.
After Jackson fled, Tollefson said Booman got into the driver's seat of Jackson's car and pulled her inside through the passenger door, according to the affidavit. She said Booman then drove to a vacant lot behind Embassy Suites by Hilton Hot Springs Hotel & Spa, where he searched the car and then fled on foot, leaving her behind, the affidavit said.
During a police interview, Tollefson told Fallis that Booman's Facebook name was OMB Booman, and Fallis was able to pull up the page. Tollefson confirmed that the person on the page was Booman and that he was the one who shot Jackson, the affidavit said. Asked if Booman had any tattoos, she said he had a red star tattoo on the side of his face near his eye, the document said.
Paskel was developed as a suspect based on Tollefson's description and a photo of him located on Justice Exchange that showed that he had a red star tattoo on his face, the affidavit said. He also had a Facebook photo showing the same tattoo, the affidavit said.
Tollefson later took detectives to a vacant lot in the 200 block of Spargo Street where Jackson's car was parked, reports said.
After Paskel was arrested, he was questioned and admitted that he and Tollefson arranged a meeting with Jackson and planned to rob him of his money and marijuana, the affidavit said. When Jackson arrived at the meeting place, Paskel said he opened the driver's door, pointed a revolver at Jackson and demanded "everything he had," the affidavit said.
Paskel said Jackson reached for a gun, but Paskel shot him before he could get it, the affidavit said. Jackson then fled on foot, and Paskel and Tollefson got into Jackson's car and drove away, the affidavit said.
According to the affidavit for Tollefson, after her interview with detectives, Jackson's girlfriend sent Fallis an email containing screen-shots of the conversation between Tollefson and Jackson.
"These messages indicated Tollefson had more of an involvement in the planning and execution of the robbery," the affidavit said.
Paskel later corroborated the messages contained in the screen-shots that showed Tollefson's involvement, the affidavit said.
State Desk on 05/19/2019