Livermore Couple Face Life Sentences In Murder Of Navy Veteran At Gas Station

LIVERMORE, CA — A Livermore native and his girlfriend could spend the rest of their lives in prison after being found guilty of first-degree murder in the stabbing and shooting death of a Navy veteran at a Tracy gas station.

Jeremy Wayne Jones and Christina Lyn Garner were found guilty last week for the murder of Justin Peoples, 30, in a stunning act of violence that erupted when the Navy veteran brushed passed Garner at a chance gas station encounter in 2022.

Garner faces a potential sentence of 50 years to life in prison, plus an additional term for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Jones faces a potential sentence of 27 years to life, plus extra time for being armed during the offense.

They were found guilty for the March 15, 2022 killing of Peoples, of Stockton, who had stopped at a Tracy gas station to get change. While there, Peoples brushed past Garner, leading to a violent confrontation with the couple. Jones stabbed Peoples multiple times, while Garner shot him in the head, according to prosecutors.

Peoples died at a hospital. He was Black, and his brutal slaying was described as a hate crime by investigators. Investigators arrested Garner, 42, of Manteca, and Jones, 49.

“These verdicts hold the defendants accountable for their brutal actions and reaffirm our commitment to justice,” San Joaquin County District Attorney Ron Freitas said in an Oct. 14 statement after the verdict was announced.

Prosecutors said Peoples was intentionally killed because of his race, color, religion, nationality, or country of origin. Furthermore, a gun was used to kill him. Photos released by prosecutors showed white supremacist tattoos on Jones, with "WHITE” and “PRIDE” stretching the length of his arms. Swastikas were also tattooed to his arms. Days before the two were arrested, Jones posted on social media that he'd tattooed Garner's name to his neck. “I wanted to show my girlfriend that I loved her,” he said.

Their sentencing in San Joaquin County Superior Court is scheduled for Nov. 17