Suvechha Sarkar
On a quiet night in August 2017, the community of Sandusky, Ohio, was completely shaken to its core by a devastating act of violence. Anthony Louis Pearson Sr., lovingly known as Tony, was fatally shot in his own car. What initially seemed to be just a planned gun violence also turned out to be a case of mistaken identity. Investigation Discovery’s ‘The Murder Tapes: So Hateful’ delves deep into the detailed investigation, a mountain of evidence, and even bodycam footage. It also features emotional interviews with his loved ones and the officials who worked tirelessly on the case to serve justice.
Anthony Pearson Was Shot Dead in His Car Following a Fatal Argument
Anthony Louis Pearson Sr., lovingly known as Tony, was born on March 17, 1971, in Erie County in Sandusky, Ohio. He arrived as a bundle of joy to the lives of his parents, Arlene and Douglas MacArthur Pearson. He grew up in a happy household, surrounded by the love of his parents, his brothers — Scott Webb Sr., Keith Alexander Sr., Brandon Durr Sr., Kenneth Lamont Pearson Sr., and Aaron Pearson Sr. — and his sisters — Darlene Alexander and Annie Forte. Anthony was a man of faith and possessed an adventurous and outgoing personality. After attending Sandusky High School, he moved forward and graduated from the US Job Corps. Eventually, he stepped into his professional life as a licensed barber.
As Anthony moved forward in his life, he joyfully welcomed his daughters, Brianne Sharde Forney, La’Tayvia Kaprice Pearson, Tyler Nathan, and Ta’Neiqua Monae Jackson, into his life. He was also a proud father of his sons — Anthony Louis Pearson Jr., Tre’mar Amir Pearson, and Devron Hampton. Surrounded by the love and support of his family, Anthony was living a fulfilled life. However, everything turned upside down on August 2, 2017. Around 10:38 pm, a 911 call was made by a woman from the MacArthur Park neighborhood of the 2100 block of Parkview Boulevard in Sandusky, Ohio. She informed the officials that she had heard an argument where a man had threatened to use a gun, and right after, she heard a “pop.”
When law enforcement arrived at the scene, they found Anthony deceased with a gunshot wound to the back of his head. They found him inside his red pickup truck parked along the road, which had a shattered window in the back. It indicated that the killer had shot him from behind. Apart from the bystanders informing the police about hearing an argument between two men, officials also noticed there was a large crowd at the scene. The autopsy determined his cause of death to be a fatal gunshot wound to the back of the head.
A False Alibi and Cell Phone Data Linked Anthony’s Killer to the Crime Scene
Detectives first questioned the bystanders, all of whom informed them that the killer was a “black guy” with a heavy build and had left on foot towards the north. Their attention then shifted to Troy, who the crowd stated was with Anthony before he was killed. When he was questioned, he explained how he and Anthony were sitting in the park when a guy approached the latter, who then left him alone at the park. He claimed that since he could see the argument getting heated, he became scared and was running away from the scene when he heard a gunshot. Troy further denied seeing the guy or hearing the topic of their argument. A local cab driver came forward and revealed how she had witnessed the killer put his hands on the car. However, no DNA or fingerprints were found when Anthony’s car was examined.
The breakthrough came when Anthony’s nephew, Jermaine, informed the investigators how his uncle was distraught because a guy was mistaking him for a man named Lester. Furthermore, he reportedly disclosed how a woman had reached out to him, claiming to know the killer. When Jermaine called the woman before the officials, she told him it was Joel Miles. Shortly after, Joel called the detectives himself, claiming that he was at a hotel in Cleveland, Ohio, the entire day with a woman named Mikayla on the fateful day. Upon questioning her, she admitted that Joel was with her in Cleveland the whole day before he dropped her at 8:30 pm and went to Sandusky. She further added how, after the news of Anthony’s murder broke out, she had called him over 50 times before he answered the call.
Mikayla confessed that Joel had asked her to become his alibi. She added that the latter had mistaken Anthony for Lester, who was supplying “dope” to her, and it had made Joel quite upset. When he came in for questioning, he denied having any involvement with the murder. However, Joel’s cell phone location revealed that he was present at the crime scene during the time of the murder. He was finally arrested in August 2017, and charged with one count of murder of Anthony and two counts of having weapons while under disability since he was under probation. Additionally, he also had drug trafficking charges against him. His then-girlfriend, Amy Matos, was also arrested for attempted obstruction of justice since she had lied to the officials about not meeting him after the shooting, despite video evidence showing otherwise.
Joel Miles is Currently Serving His Time at an Ohio Prison Facility
Amy Matos reportedly pleaded guilty on February 5, 2018, to attempted obstruction of justice and received a sentence of one year. The trial of Joel Miles for the murder of Anthony Pearson began in July 2018. The prosecution presented eyewitnesses who had seen him shortly after the gunshot was heard. They also reportedly presented the cell phone location record, tying him to the murder scene. Furthermore, prosecutors pointed out the ballistics and forensic reports about how the fatal shot had led to the untimely demise of Anthony.
The prosecution reportedly emphasized how Joel mistook Anthony for Lester and thought that he was serving “dope” to his mistress, which upset him and made him act with fatal intent. On the other hand, the Defense argued that there was a lack of direct eyewitnesses who saw Joel pull the trigger. They also claimed that he did not have the intent to kill Anthony. Hence, it made a case of mistaken identity, undermining the charge of purposeful murder. They further pointed out that no murder weapon was recovered. After careful consideration, the jury found him guilty of one count of murder, two counts of having weapons under disability, and one count of drug trafficking.
Joel was sentenced to 49 years to life in prison on August 7, 2018. He received a 15-year-to-life imprisonment sentence for the murder charge, three years each for the two counts of weapon under disability charge, and an 11-year sentence for drug trafficking, to be served consecutively. While his first parole hearing is set to take place in June 2066, his expected parole eligibility date is not before July 22, 2066. As of writing, Joel is serving his sentence at the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility in Lucasville, Ohio. On the other hand, Amy Matos is seemingly maintaining a low profile.
