AKRON, Ohio — A 26-year-old man could spend the rest of his life behind bars for the 2023 murder of Ernestine Stallings, who was shot outside of an Akron store.
Judge Mary Margaret Rowlands sentenced Jontae Watkins to life in prison with parole eligibility after 33 years. He received 23 years to life for the aggravated murder and an additional 10 years for aggravated trafficking in drugs.
He appeared via video from the Summit County Jail and was not physically present in the courtroom for his sentencing.
In October, Watkins pleaded no contest and was found guilty in the murder of Stallings. He was also convicted in a separate drug case stemming from the investigation.
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Stallings's family brought a cardboard cutout of her to the sentencing.
"I miss her more than I can ever put into words. I miss her laugh. I miss her smile. I miss her voice. I miss her presence," Tasha Love, Stallings' fiancée, said in court.
In July of 2023, Stallings and her fiancée visited the Dollar Tree on West Market Street in Akron. They left the store carrying balloons for a birthday party for Love's son when shots from an AR-15 rifle rang out. Stallings was shot six times in the back and died. The bullets narrowly missed Love.
"I carry it every day. I go to bed without my heart. That terror I can never forget and I will never be able to forget. You are a coward," Love said. "And I pray that one day you have to have a conscience and have to deal with what you did to her."
Video captured from a Tesla showed the balloons floating away and the gunman running after the shooting.
FLOCK cameras and various surveillance footage connected Watkins to the case. He was arrested in September 2023.
Prosecutors said Watkins confessed to the murder and admitted it was a case of misidentification. Investigator said Watkins was trying to get revenge for the 2022 murder of his girlfriend.
Watkins and his girlfriend, Atavia Robinson, were shot outside of a movie theater in the Chapel Hill neighborhood in June of 2022.
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Akron police said Robinson's homicide remains unsolved.
Stallings's murder took place more than a year after Robinson's killing.
Prosecutors said Watkins pulled into the Dollar Tree parking lot and waited for Stallings to emerge from the store, mistakenly thinking that she was involved in Robinson's death.
Assistant Prosecutor Zach Neumann said Stallings had nothing to do with it.
"An innocent citizen— just out trying to buy balloons for their fiancée's son's birthday party— gets gunned down at the Dollar Tree parking lot," Neumann said.
Watkins's attorney, Jacob Will, indicated his client was planning to appeal.
After the sentence, Watkins said he agree to a plea deal that call for a lighter sentence— 23 years to life.
"That ain't what I agreed to. I'm going to have to withdraw my plea deal because when I took the plea, it was supposed to be 23 to life. If it ain't gonna be that, we'll just re-route everything," Watkins said.
However, the sentence stood. After the hearing, Love said she had mixed emotions.
"I'm happy for some justice. I'm happy for the justice, but I just wish he had no chance of ever coming home," Love said. "I'm strong. I'm going to stand up for Ernestine. I'm going to speak for her."
