Where is Kurt Wallace now? Details explored ahead of Murder Under the friday Night Lights on ID
Kurt Wallace, a St. Louis man convicted of multiple violent crimes, remains incarcerated, serving a 60-year prison sentence for a series of carjackings and the fatal shooting of high school football coach Jaz Granderson.
His case is the focus of Murder Under the Friday Night Lights on ID, particularly in the episode Caught in a Trap, which revisits the events leading up to Granderson’s murder and the subsequent investigation.
On October 16, 2017, Granderson was shot and killed in St. Louis when Wallace carjacked his Jeep Grand Cherokee. The crime was linked to a series of armed carjackings that Wallace, along with his accomplice Jherrica Dixon, had orchestrated through a dating app, as per Justice.gov (November 16, 2017).
Following his arrest in November 2017, Wallace later escaped from jail on July 15, 2019, committing another carjacking before being recaptured, as noted in DEA.gov's February 14, 2024, press release.
On September 13, 2023, he pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including discharging a firearm resulting in death, and was placed behind bars as per DEA.gov.
On September 13, Kurt Wallace confessed to shooting three individuals, including the fatal attack on assistant football coach Jaz Granderson
Kurt Wallace was at the center of a series of violent crimes that stretched over years. His actions, including the murder of high school football coach Jaz Granderson, became the focus of a long legal battle. On September 13, 2023, he finally admitted to shooting three people.
One of them was Granderson. SpectrumLocalNews.com reported on February 14, 2024, that Wallace carried out these attacks during a string of armed carjackings in 2017. His crimes didn’t stop there. After escaping from jail, he led police on a high-speed chase that ended in his arrest.
Between September and October 2017, Wallace was involved in multiple carjackings across St. Louis. On September 16, he shot a man in the shoulder and stole a Chevrolet Monte Carlo. One month later, on October 15, he shot another victim in the leg before taking a Cadillac CTS, as per DEA.gov.
The violence escalated the next day. On October 16, Wallace fatally shot Granderson while trying to steal his Jeep Grand Cherokee. Granderson, who had once played football for Northern Iowa before becoming a coach at De Smet Jesuit High School, was rushed to a hospital but did not survive, as per Justice.gov, November 16, 2017.
Wallace was indicted in November 2017 and remained in custody as he awaited trial. That changed on July 15, 2019. He and another inmate, James Flannel, managed to escape from jail.
The two wasted no time before stealing another vehicle and taking authorities on a chase that crossed multiple jurisdictions. It ended when Wallace crashed the stolen car. DEA.gov later confirmed these events.
Where is Kurt Wallace now?
After nearly six years in the legal system, Kurt Wallace finally admitted guilt in September 2023. He pleaded to multiple charges that included four counts of carjacking, two counts of discharging a firearm in furtherance of carjacking, and one count of jail escape.
SpectrumLocalNews.com reported on February 14, 2024, that U.S. District Judge Ronnie L. White handed him a 60-year prison sentence. Wallace wasn't the only one facing justice. His accomplice, Jherrica Dixon, played a key role in setting up the carjackings and received 19 years behind bars.
Floyd Barber, another co-defendant, took a plea deal for his involvement in Granderson’s murder and was sentenced to 22 years, according to DEA.gov. Meanwhile, Flannel, who had escaped with Wallace, was already serving a life sentence for a different fatal carjacking.
Today, Kurt Wallace is serving out his sentence for the wave of violent crimes he committed between 2017 and 2019. His case stands out as one of the most shocking in St. Louis, tied to a string of carjackings and a brutal murder. With Murder Under the Friday Night Lights revisiting the story, the tragedy and its aftermath continue to draw attention.
