Man Known as “Parkway Shooter” Escapes Death Penalty By Accepting Plea

Ralph Jackson, the man who was nicknamed the “Parkway Shooter” recently escaped the death penalty by accepting a plea deal from federal prosecutors for life in prison in exchange to pleading guilty to premeditated murder. On April 5, 2010, Jackson drove his car up to the Blue Ridge Parkway and opened fire on a man and a woman who were watching the sunset.

According to news reports, Jackson told investigators that he believed that one of the individuals was his son-in-law. After delivering the first shot-gun blast, Jackson said that he realized that the two individuals were not who he thought they were, but he continued the assault anyway. Timothy Davis, a Charlottesville radio personality died from the injuries that he sustained after being shot by Jackson and falling over the cliff at the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Christina Floyd, the other victim of Jackson’s bizarre shooting rampage, survived the attack. Floyd sustained injuries to her back and fractures to her skull as a result of shot gun pellets and being pushed off the cliff by Jackson. Miraculously, Floyd was able to run out onto the Parkway after her fall where a couple driving a pickup truck stopped to help her. The couple saw Jackson chasing after Floyd with the shotgun. Jackson allegedly shot several rounds at the pickup truck as it was driving away.