The Fifth District Court of Appeals in Dallas has upheld the capital murder conviction of Jamarco Blanton, confirming that the evidence fully supported the jury’s finding that he shot and killed convenience store owner Fahed Fatayri during a robbery at the Mom & Pops store in Terrell.
In a memorandum opinion issued on December 3, 2025, the court rejected all four of Blanton’s appellate arguments and affirmed his sentence of life without parole.
Background of the Case
According to court records, the shooting occurred on May 12, 2023, after Blanton entered the Mom & Pops gas station with two other individuals. Surveillance video and witness testimony revealed Blanton taking a package of sunflower seeds, placing them in his pocket, and attempting to leave without paying. When Fatayri confronted him and stepped between Blanton and the door, the two exchanged gunfire. Fatayri was struck in the chest and later collapsed inside the store.
Police arrested Blanton moments later nearby after an officer spotted him running away. He was found carrying an unopened package of sunflower seeds. Investigators later recovered a discarded gun from a storm drain that contained Blanton’s DNA and matched the bullet that killed Fatayri…