COLLIN COUNTY, Texas — A 25-year-old Plano man has been sentenced to life in prison over a planned robbery that resulted in murder after he claimed another man was looking at his girlfriend, the Collin County District's Attorney's Office announced Wednesday.
A Collin County jury found Jordan Christopher Jacobs guilty of capital murder in the 2021 shooting death of Steven Christopher Gambles II.
On July 7, 2021, Gambles was on his way to meet a friend for dinner at the Shops at Legacy in the 5700 block of Legacy Drive in Plano, when he unknowingly passed Jacobs outside the Mini Mart, Plano police said.
Jacobs reportedly told his girlfriend that Gambles had been looking at her and as punishment, he planned to rob Gambles.
Police said Gambles and Jacobs did not know each other or have any connection.
After deciding to rob Gambles, police said, Jacobs went back to his apartment to change into a long sleeve security jacket, dark pants and a mask as a disguise.
Surveillance video shows Jacobs circling and waiting for Gambles to return to his vehicle following his dinner at the Shops at Legacy. In the video, police said you can also see Jacobs successfully entering Gambles’ car and grabbing Gambles’ firearm from the console.
When Gambles returned to his car, police said Jacobs confronted him, pointed the gun at Gambles’ head and shot him in the temple because he wouldn’t cooperate.
Plano Police Detective Aaron Benzick investigated the case, combing through all the surveillance video to track Jacobs back to his nearby apartment to identify him as the shooter. Benzick said Jacobs was not associated with the Shops at Legacy security department and was not currently employed as a security guard with any company.
“An innocent man was out enjoying dinner with a friend when his life was taken by a violent stranger. The jury’s verdict triggered an automatic punishment of life without the possibility of parole for this senseless and terrible crime,” said Collin County District Attorney Greg Willis after Jacobs was sentenced.
Assistant Criminal District Attorneys Calli Bailey and Marisa Dunagan prosecuted the case and was assisted by District Attorney Investigator Mike Bennett, and Victim Assistance Coordinator Casey Hendrix.
