(Lawrenceville, Ga., 12/12/24) – A DeKalb County man accused of following and killing a fellow motorist in a road-rage shooting will spend life in prison.

Michael Charles Jackson, 61, was found guilty of malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault, possession of a firearm during a felony, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon in the January 2022 shooting of 46-year-old Don Wardlaw. Jackson was sentenced to life in prison plus 15 years without the possibility of parole. He chose to represent himself rather than hire a defense attorney.

On Jan. 27, 2022, police found Wardlaw’s car wrecked in a yard off Rockbridge Road. Wardlaw had been killed by two gunshot wounds prior to the wreck, and he veered off the road. Evidence showed that Wardlaw was being tailed by Jackson’s pickup truck moments before the crash. Police testified that at some point, Wardlaw made a U-turn in an attempt to escape Jackson.

Jackson was arrested a week later during a routine traffic stop stemming from an outstanding bench warrant from Clayton County. Police searched his home and found the box and magazines for a handgun matching the weapon used in the shooting. The GBI also found gunshot residue in Jackson’s vehicle.

“It is unfortunate that the mere act of driving could lead to this murder,” District Attorney Patsy Austin-Gatson said. “We hope that Mr. Wardlaw’s family will begin to heal from this tragedy.”

Prior to this trial, Jackson had been convicted in 1987 for murder in Cumberland County, N.C., and in 2016 for disorderly conduct involving a firearm in Rockdale County.

Managing Assistant District Attorney Han Chung and Assistant District Attorney Jasmine Joseph prosecuted the case. DA’s Investigator J.D. Smith and Victim Witness Advocate Shenita Coward assisted with the case. DA’s Investigator John Wilbanks and Gwinnett County Police Department Homicide Detective Randy Blackburn were pivotal to the investigation.