Man Convicted Of Murder After 2019 Fatal Shooting At Manassas Denny's

MANASSAS, VA — A man was convicted of 45 felonies, including second degree murder, in connection with a robbery and fatal shooting at a Manassas Denny's in December 2019. The 10-day jury trial ended on Tuesday.

The man, Jordan Anderson, was convicted of second-degree murder, two counts of aggravated malicious wounding, seventeen counts of abduction for pecuniary benefit, one count of robbery, one count of attempted robbery, one count of burglary at night with the intent to commit robbery, and twenty-two counts of use or display of a firearm in the commission of a felony.

Anderson's sentencing date has not been scheduled yet, the Office of the Commonwealth's Attorney said. He is being held at the Prince William County Adult Detention Center. He could face a life sentence, based on Virginia's sentencing guidelines.

"The Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office wishes to thank all those involved that assisted in the successful prosecution of this case," Commonwealth's Attorney Amy Ashworth said in a news release. "There were twenty-two people victimized at the Denny’s that early morning and we fought to obtain justice for them.”

At about 2:25 a.m. on Dec. 26, 2019, the Prince William County Police Department said the pair entered the Denny's at 8201 Sudley Road, demanded money, cell phones and wallets from employees and customers of the restaurant.

Yusuf Ozgur, who worked for the DoorDash food delivery service and was picking up an order at the Denny's in the early morning hours of Dec. 26, opened the door for the two, not knowing that they had just shot a customer, police said. One suspect, who the police believe was Ryan Thomas Walker, hit Ozgur in the head with a baton, and the other, Anderson, shot and killed him, police said.

Before leaving the restaurant, a customer who was sitting on the ground as ordered by the men was shot in the upper body, according to the police. The customer, publicly identified only as a 34-year-old man from Rixeyville in Culpeper County, survived his gunshot wounds.

Ashworth said her office sought indictments against Walker and Anderson "following an exhaustive review of the evidence and consultation with the victims, their families and the investigators."

On Dec. 29, 2019, Anderson was located by members of the Prince William County Special Investigations Bureau and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives following a vehicle stop in the Newington section of Fairfax County.

A search warrant was subsequently conducted on Anderson's vehicle and his residence in Manassas where additional evidence was recovered.

Walker was taken into custody on Dec. 29, 2019 by the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force in Maryland. Walker was located at the home of an acquaintance in Chesapeake Beach, Maryland, where he was arrested without incident, the police said.

Walker still faces dozens of charges. His case is set to go to trial in April 2023, according to court records.