A Lansing, Michigan mother is fighting for justice in the shooting deaths of her two sons, who were murdered in August last year. According to the Lansing State Journal, Miranda Burton-Hinton urged prosecutors to punish Zacharey Diederichs– the man charged with killing Marcus Jackson-Burton and Steven Jackson, to the maximum extent the law allowed.
Diederichs reportedly shot and killed the two men at a local strip mall on Aug. 3 in broad daylight. At the time of their deaths, the men didn’t live in Lansing anymore. There appeared to be no connection between the suspect and the victims.
Surveillance footage showed Diederichs approach Jackson-Burton from behind, then shooting him execution-style in the back of the head. Jackson attempted to run, but Diederichs fired shots hitting the man in the back. Jackson survived, but the suspect finished the job when he saw the man’s body move slightly. He shot Jackson four more times.
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The men’s half-brother Dequan Townsend told the news outlet that the Jackson-Burton had only been in town for an hour-and-a-half before he was murdered. Jackson came to Lansing to help his sister move.
With the evidence collected by the Lansing Police Department, authorities apprehended the suspect shortly after the murders.
Although the case may seem open and shut due to Diederichs’ prior criminal history, Ingham County Prosecutor Carol Siemon believes that everyone deserves a chance at rehabilitation and doesn’t think life without parole would not benefit the defendant.
“I understand and respect their strong position and tremendous grief,” Siemon said. “I am not advocating for leniency for the man whom I believe evidence clearly shows killed their loved ones.”
She elaborated that her role as “a minister of justice” for all dictates Siemon delves a sufficient punishment for the crime but also allows Diederich to be eligible for parole– if he’s deemed fit for it.
The news outlet reported that Diederich was on parole and was released from prison six months before allegedly committing the crime. Burton-Hinton maintains that there’s no justification for offering the man a more lenient sentence.
Burton-Hinton understands the prosecutor’s reasons, but she doesn’t think they should be applied in this case.
“Not only did he kill one son, he killed two,” she told the Lansing State Journal. “Why should he get a second chance at redemption? My boys didn’t.”
Burton-Hinton wants Diederich to be tried for first-degree, but he may receive a reduced charge of second-degree murder, which offers parole.
Court records do not indicate if a plea deal has been offered or accepted. Diederichs has a hearing scheduled for March 2.
