Century Man Previously Convicted Of Manslaughter Gets 45 Years For Possessing Handgun, Probation Violation

May 24, 2022

A Century man previously convicted of manslaughter has been sentenced to 45-years in state prison for a gun he tried to hide in a Cantonment liquor store.

Jaran Britt Myles, 27, was sentenced by Judge John Simon for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and violation of his probation on a 2015 conviction for manslaughter with a firearm.

Myles was indicted by an Escambia County grand jury on murder and battery charges for a November 2020 triple shooting that left one man dead and two others injured. Myles was indicted on one count of first degree murder for the death of Joseph Christopher Smith and two counts of aggravated battery for two others that were shot and survived for a shooting in the 8200 block of Alger Road in Century.

After receiving a tip a few days later, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office caught up with Myles as he walked out of the Liquor Cabinet on Highway 29 at Old Chemstrand Road in Gonzalez. Deputies gave him loud verbal commands, but he turned and walked back inside the store. The deputies drew their service weapons, entered the store and continued to give loud verbal commands. Myles entered one of the aisles and made movements near products on the shelf before placing his hands and surrendering, an arrest report states.

Myles removed a handgun from sweatshirt and attempted to hide the gun on a store shelf. The incident was caught on surveillance video.

At age 21, Myles pleaded no contest and was sentenced to prison for manslaughter with a firearm for the January 31, 2015, shooting death of 20-year old Jonathan Ray Wilson on Backwoods Road in Century.

In 2015, a witness told deputies that “Run Run”, later identified as Myles, pulled out a gun and asked him if he was scared of it before taking the magazine out of the weapon and pointing it at him. Myles then pulled the trigger of the gun, without the magazine, but it “dry fired”, he said.

The witness said Myles then pointed the gun to Wilson’s head after loading the magazine back into the gun. Wilson then adjusted the height of the gun to his head, “correcting the placement of the gun pointed at him”. The witness said when Wilson let go of the gun, Myles pulled the trigger and shot Wilson in the head.

As a high school sophomore, Myles was a member of the 2012 state champion Northview High School football team and was named “Mr. Versatile” during a team awards banquet.

Pictured: A 2020 triple shooting scene on Alger Road in Century. One person was killed, and two others were injured. Pictured below: The scene of a January 31, 2015, fatal shooting on Backwoods Road in Century. NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.

Comments

9 Responses to “Century Man Previously Convicted Of Manslaughter Gets 45 Years For Possessing Handgun, Probation Violation”

  1. Seriously? on May 28th, 2022 1:26 pm

    Wait a minute.. He was already convicted and served a couple of yrs for murder. Was out on parole/ probation and was involved in another murder case. BUT GOT 45 YRS FOR HAVING A GUN?!? How about 45 YRS FOR killing somebody to start with and this would never have been an issue. Geez

  2. Dave Simpkins on May 24th, 2022 6:06 pm

    You can thank your lenient court systems and attorneys for this. And the “all knowing attorneys” on both sides.

  3. Jason on May 24th, 2022 3:10 pm

    His 2015 arrest for manslaughter and two counts of agg assault led to a 6 years prison sentence followed by 6 years probation. Court records show this “downward departure” from sentencing guidelines was due to an “uncoerced plea, coupled with the crime being committed in an unsophisticated manner and was an isolated incident for which the defendant showed remorse”.

    He was released from prison in March 2020. Within 8 months of his release, he was being sought for another murder. He was arrested the following day after the murder while in possession of a handgun.

    That latter case – poss of the gun – resulted in a violation of probation charge and he was subsequently sentenced to 45 years state prison, He still has the 2020 murder case pending with his next court hearing scheduled for 8/9/22.

    I expect if found guilty of the 2020 murder charge, he will being a life sentence.

  4. Maxwell McClintock on May 24th, 2022 10:36 am

    Now he can enjoy playing football with his team of prison inmates.

    Just another criminal off the streets.

  5. RaD on May 24th, 2022 9:13 am

    The first degree premeditated murder charge and 2 aggravated battery charges have yet to be settled in court. If guilty, he will get life w/o possibility of parole or sentenced to death.

  6. William in Beulah on May 24th, 2022 9:01 am

    I agree Sam, he shouldn’t have been on the streets in the first place. American justice equals NO JUSTICE, today.

  7. Susie on May 24th, 2022 8:43 am

    You can’t fix stupid. Now here we have stupid with a gun. The Judge will fix that (he should have the first time).

  8. World gone wrong on May 24th, 2022 8:11 am

    Why was he given probation for willingly taking someones life whether he was of age or not he made that decision to pull the trigger then he was willing to accept the consequences of that action nothing is going to bring that man’s life back that he took so nothing should be given to this individual to offer him a chance of living a free life he should’ve been locked up stayed locked up with no buffer or privileges of any kind!

  9. sam on May 24th, 2022 6:13 am

    why was he on the street with a record like his? our justice system is broke.