Killers in Albany murder sentenced to life in prison

ALBANY — The two convicted killers in the 2013 stabbing death of William Jackson were sentenced Monday to life imprisonment with the possibility of parole.

Dougherty County District Attorney Greg Edwards said on Tuesday that, by law, life imprisonment was the only possible sentence for Louis Floyd Jr., and Tara Herrell, who on March 18 were found guilty of murdering Jackson. The question was whether the sentence would include a parole possibility of parole in the future.

According to Edwards, the jury found Floyd guilty of one count each of felony murder, malice murder, aggravated assault and possession of a knife in the commission of a crime.

Herrell was found guilty of felony murder, aggravated assault and possession of a knife in the commission of a crime. She was not found guilty of malice murder.

“The reality of the situation is that they’ll serve 30 years before they’re eligible for parole,” Edwards said.

The convictions stem from an incident on Aug. 14, 2013, when Albany police and Dougherty County EMS were dispatched to the Dollar Inn at 2706 N. Slappey Blvd. At the motel, they found Jackson, a 54-year-old black male who was unresponsive. Jackson was pronounced dead at the scene.

At around 3 p.m. the following day, the homicide unit of the Albany Police Department announced that warrants for murder and possession of a knife in the commission of a crime would be taken against Floyd, then 58, and Herrell, 27.