OAKLAND — An ex-convict has been charged in the fatal shooting last October of a longtime friend outside an East Oakland Jack-in-the-Box where he had asked the victim to meet him, according to police and court records.
James C. Amos, 57, of Oakland, is charged with killing Jeffery Duckett, 60, of Oakland on Oct. 3, 2017, in the parking lot of the restaurant in the 2400 block of International Boulevard. The murder charge includes an enhancement allegation that the killing was a drive-by slaying.
Amos is also charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. He was convicted in March 1989 of possession of a firearm by a felon and given a prison term, according to court records.
Sgt. Omar Daza-Quiroz said the two men were friends for many years but unbeknownst to Duckett, Amos had become upset with him over an apparent personal matter.
On the day of the killing, Amos called Duckett and asked him to meet him at the restaurant, Daza-Quiroz said. Duckett got there first, ordered some food and had just come outside into the parking lot when he was fatally shot.
Amos fled but was soon identified as the suspect because of video surveillance and witness statements. Relatives of Duckett’s recognized him on the video and a witness told police Amos had called him and admitted the killing, authorities said.
Amos was arrested Feb. 26 in Detroit, Michigan, by U.S. marshals and was brought back to California March 15. He is being held without bail at Santa Rita Jail and is scheduled to enter a plea April 3.
According to his online obituary, Duckett was born in San Franscisco and graduated from Oakland’s Castlemont High School. He was married and had more than a dozen children and stepchildren.
He was a member of International Longshoremen and Warehouse Union Local 6 and worked as a truck driver and deliveryman. He was known for his love of family and his cooking skills and also liked to play pool and ride his motorcycle and was a member of a motorcycle club, according to the obituary.