Suspect jailed in slaying near PB
A 29-year-old man remains in the Jefferson County Jail following a probable cause hearing last week in Jefferson County District Court on suspicion of first-degree murder.
Bail has been set at $200,000 for Zackary Vermillion, who is accused of shooting Tony Jones, 51, to death during an altercation that began in front of Vermillion’s residence near a gas station on U.S. 79 and ended on Whiteville Road, southwest of the Pine Bluff city limits. Vermillion has not yet been formally charged, as prosecutors are still investigating.
At approximately 1:11 p.m. on Wednesday, according to the probable cause affidavit, Jefferson County Sheriff ’s deputies were dispatched to Whiteville Road, just southwest of the Pine Bluff city limits, near the railroad tracks for “an armed disturbance.”
Vermillion reportedly called and told deputies he had shot a man who jumped into the back of his truck.
A man identified as Jones was located in the back of the truck with a bullet wound to the head, according to the affidavit.
Jones was transported by ambulance to Jefferson Regional Medical Center and then transferred to St. Vincent Infirmary in Little Rock, where he was pronounced dead at approximately 5:15 p.m.,
A .22-caliber Derringer pistol was found underneath Jones before he was transported to the hospital.
Approximately three spent 9 mm shell casings were located in the truck at the scene, and a Taurus 9 mm handgun was found at the scene as well.
The investigator reported video surveillance from J&M Quick Stop, 8885 U.S. 79 South, located in front of Vermillion’s residence, shows the victim arriving at the residence in a blue truck with Vermillion coming out.
According to the investigator’s account, Vermillion gets into a silver truck as the victim walks toward the back of it, where he begins to release a trailer.
The victim, according to the account, jumps onto the back bumper of the vehicle as Vermillion puts the pickup into reverse and sits down.
Vermillion is then said to pull the truck forward to the front of the residence, where a female is seen coming out, approaches the vehicle and later goes back inside the residence.
Vermillion reportedly exits the vehicle and appears to exchange words with the victim, who picks up what the investigator said appeared to be a tire iron while sitting in the back, but apparently not in “an aggressive posture.”
Vermillion reportedly then drives away with Jones still in the back of the truck.
Vermillion allegedly pulled the vehicle toward the residence and asked for his pistol while on the phone with his wife and drove to the other side of the residence.
The victim was not being aggressive or engaged in a verbal altercation with Vermillion, he reportedly told officers.
He then drove the vehicle to U.S. 79 and turned onto Whiteville Road while Jones began hitting the back glass, according to the affidavit, and Vermillion indicated he saw what appeared to be a pistol in the victim’s hand, picked up his own pistol and began firing at him.
Two witnesses were placed in custody for questioning but were not arrested.