Gwinnett Judge: Convicted Murderer Lived 'Hashtag Fail' Life

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A Stone Mountain man was sentenced to life in prison, plus five years, for a 2012 murder outside a Gwinnett CVS pharmacy during an attempted drug transaction.

The Gwinnett County District Attorney’s Office said Jamad Jacque Wallace, 23, was found guilty of shooting Alex Delgado, 27, of Lawrenceville, on March 4, 2012, near the CVS on Grayson Highway. Delgado died two days later.

Wallace testified that the shooting was self-defense, but Judge Timothy Hamil called the defendant’s story “fantastical,” and commented that Wallace’s life to this point has been nothing but a “hashtag fail,” due to his prior criminal history.

Prosecutors said Delgado and his girlfriend drove to the pharmacy at the corner of Sugarloaf Parkway and Grayson Highway on the evening of March 4 so Delgado could buy some marijuana from Wallace.

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But, Wallace got into the back of their car, pulled out a gun and demanded money instead.

Prosecutors said Delgado had apparently forgotten his wallet at home, and told Wallace he didn’t have any money. Wallace then got out of the car while still pointing the gun at the couple.

“For unknown reasons, Alex got out of the car to confront the defendant,” the D.A.’s office said in a press release. “Two shots were fired, with one striking Alex Delgado in the top of the head. He died later at Gwinnett Medical Center.”

Evidence presented during the case showed Wallace’s fingerprints on the back of the car, and the girlfriend also identified him in a photo lineup.

Wallace was arrested on April 11, 2012, on unrelated charges in DeKalb County. He was a passenger in a car where multiple stolen guns were found, including the suspected murder weapon. Ballistic evidence matched the bullet from the victim, the district attorney’s office said. Wallace was later indicted for murder.

Wallace testified he met Delgado earlier in the day at a local Kroger and that Delgado offered to sell him a pound of marijuana. Wallace said he paid $1,100 for a quarter pound of “high-grade” marijuana, but then realized the weed was of lesser quality than he wanted and he arranged to meet Delgado at the CVS to get his money back.

Wallace testified Delgado pulled a gun on him and a struggle outside the car led to the victim being shot as Wallace was pushing the gun away from him.

But prosecutors contradicted Wallace’s account with evidence from the medical examiner, which indicated the lethal gunshot came from more than 3 feet away. Cell tower records of the defendant’s phone also contradicted parts of his story.

The district attorney’s office said Wallace was on first-offender probation (for aggravated assault) at the time of the murder.

Walllace was convicted by a jury of malice murder, felony murder (two counts), aggravated assault (two counts), possession of a firearm by a first offender probationer and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.

(Photo: Jamad Wallace. Gwinnett County Jail mug shot)