On Tuesday afternoon, 42-year-old Jason Glass pled guilty to the murder of Jean Coral, 67, and the aggravated assault of ex-wife Toni Schwacha, 47. As part of his plea deal with prosecuting attorney Melissa Poole, Glass was sentenced to life in prison with a recommendation of parole in 30 years. The incident occurred in mid-April last year, shortly after Schwacha divorced Glass. Glass reportedly beat Coral with a hammer before attacking his ex-wife in a similar manner. Police apprehended Glass early on April 12, 2018, before he could attempt suicide, a behavior that wasn’t uncommon for him according to Poole.
A motion hearing concerning the inclusion of evidence was held yesterday, June 17, during which time it was determined by Judge Robert Russell that while jurors were allowed to know about Glass’s previous prison sentence, they were not to be informed of his previous conviction of child molestation, nor of Glass being a registered sex offender. Russell also ruled that while both defense and prosecution could reference a tip given through Crime Stoppers, they were not allowed to read directly from the official report.
However, both of these rulings have been made irrelevant in light of Glass’s guilty plea.
By pleading guilty, Glass loses his Fourth Amendment right which prohibits the search and seizure of one’s property and belongings without an issued warrant. Glass will also be listed as a convicted felon and no longer have the right to own a gun or be in the presence of a gun, such as being in a house or car with a gun in it.
Prior to giving his ruling, Russell asked prosecution if they had any witnesses. Poole called Gunnery Sgt. Richard Coral, husband of the decedent, forward. On the stand, Richard Coral gave a tearful testimony, showing the court photos of his late wife, including one of their wedding day. Richard Coral stated to the court that, “My wife didn’t deserve this,” in reference to her murder. He stated that she was “good to [Glass]” and once again lamented that his wife did not deserve what happened to her. His sorrow soon turned to anger, however, as he addressed Glass directly, saying, “My only regret was that they wouldn’t release you to me.” The widower told Glass he should hope that he, Coral, is dead by the time Glass is up for parole.
Poole asked that Russell make it a condition of Glass’s sentencing that he not be allowed to make contact with Schwacha or Richard Coral to which the Judge agreed.