FLINT — Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton said a jury found 52-year-old Donald Eugene Mallory of Flint guilty on all counts related to the 2020 fatal shooting of 38-year-old Jason Rodgers in the parking lot of the Super Inn on Dort Highway
According to testimony and other evidence presented at trial, on January 19, 2020, at approximately 10:30pm, Burton police were dispatched to the Super Inn in reference to reports of a shooting. When officers arrived on the scene, they spotted the suspect who fled in his vehicle leading the officers on a high-speed chase. The pursuit was terminated due to high speeds and snowy weather conditions at the time.
The suspect vehicle later got into a brief chase by the Flint Township Police Department, and that pursuit was later terminated as well. The suspect vehicle was later spotted by police at the intersection of Vanslyke and 12th Street in the City of Flint and the suspect, later identified as Mallory, was arrested and taken into custody.
After termination of their chase of Mallory, the Burton police officers returned to the Super Inn and discovered an unresponsive body slumped over in the driver’s seat of a Chevy Equinox. The victim was identified as Rodgers and he was transported to Hurley Medical Center where he was pronounced dead.
Blood and video evidence assisted in the identification of Mallory, along with a second suspect who pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of second-degree murder in exchange for testimony against Mallory.
The jury found Mallory guilty of all nine felony counts issued against him including open murder, felony murder, armed robbery and a half dozen related firearm charges. He was previously convicted and sentenced to prison for felonies in Genesee, Macomb and Muskegon counties, including criminal sexual conduct first degree.
“I want to commend the outstanding work of all the police agencies involved and Assistant Prosecutor Michael Pifer and the entire team who rallied around him in various support capacities for obtaining justice in this case which had a number of obstacles to overcome,” said Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton after the verdict was read.
Noting that the defendant went through four different attorneys over five years which greatly delayed the trial process, Prosecutor Leyton stated, “the wheels of justice sometimes turn slowly but we never quit on this case.”
Mallory faces mandatory life in prison without the possibility of parole when he is sentenced on March 9.
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