Justice delayed for family of slain parking worker as suspect skips court

CHARLOTTE — An accused killer refused to appear in a Mecklenburg County courtroom Thursday, delaying key decisions in the case of AJ Zellars Jr., a parking enforcement worker shot and killed in 2024 in west Charlotte. The absence forced a postponement of the arraignment and left the victim’s family without answers about whether the suspect will accept a plea deal or go to trial.

Channel 9’s crime reporter Hunter Sáenz was in the courtroom when the victim’s family heard that disappointing development, which was another setback for the family seeking justice.

“It’s just a mockery,” said Tina Zellars, AJ Zellars Jr.’s mother.

Tina Zellars said that because Marquell Pettiford, the man accused of shooting her son execution-style, refused to be transported from jail to the courtroom.

“My son is cold in his grave. He’s here and refusing, delaying, costing taxpayers dollars, and it’s wrong,” the mother said.

It meant his arraignment could not go on as planned.

Prosecutors were set to offer a deal for him to plead guilty to second-degree murder and get between 23 and 28 years in prison.

However, Pettiford’s defense attorney said he got the dates wrong.

“I don’t think he was aware that today was arraignment day,” said Ronard Dixon Jr., attorney. “Because I told him that I thought that. I had a date in my calendar for May.”

Regardless, the defendant refused to go to court, which is allowed.

It was another heartbreaking trip for the victim’s family.

“We relive it all,” Tina Zellars said. “For someone to set something in motion and then choose not to come to court for something they set in motion. It’s just another mockery.”

AJ Sellars Jr. was shot and killed on Nov. 19, 2024, while doing his job as a parking enforcement worker putting a boot on a car on West Arrowood Road near West Hebron Street, police said.

“For him to be taken for doing what he thought was right, for doing his job, it’s just wrong,” his mother said. “It rips my heart every day.”

The judge entered a not guilty plea for Pettiford since he didn’t show up.

But the plea offer will still stand for the next 14 days.

If Pettiford doesn’t respond to it, the case will go to trial.

The Zellars family now wants policies changed, which would force defendants to appear from jail regardless of whether they want to.