A Missouri man has been sentenced to up to 40 years in prison for the fatal road rage shooting of an Amazon delivery driver. Thomas Coy, 66, received his sentence on November 2 after pleading guilty to second-degree murder and armed criminal action in the death of 23-year-old Jasmine Taylor. The incident occurred on February 5, 2025, in Lawrence County.
According to a probable cause affidavit from the Lawrence County Sheriff's Office, Taylor was delivering packages near Highway 97 when she was shot around 4 p.m. Video footage from the Amazon van showed Taylor slumped over in the driver's seat as the vehicle approached a driveway. Investigators identified the residence as Coy's home.
Upon being contacted by law enforcement and advised of his Miranda rights, Coy confessed to shooting Taylor with a pellet rifle. He admitted to approaching the van, dragging Taylor out of the driver's seat, and leaving her in a ditch along the roadside. Officers were alerted that Taylor had been transported to Mercy Joplin Hospital with a gunshot wound.
Doctors discovered a bullet lodged in Taylor's head, and she was pronounced dead from her injuries at the hospital. Lieutenant Chris D Berry of the Lawrence County Detective Division Commander described the incident as senseless, noting that Coy and Taylor did not know each other. "He saw the person going down the road, retreat to his place of residence, retrieved the pellet rifle and then waited for them to come back," Lieutenant Berry told Ozark First.
Taylor's sister, Kristian Bassett, shared a statement on Facebook following the sentencing. "Today my sister Jasmine Taylor got the justice she deserved. While he heard our statements, the Judge made him watch the video of my sisters final moments on this earth knowing he caused it," Bassett wrote. "Now the grieving begins for our family so we can continue on and keep her in our hearts forever."