Jacqueline Avant's accused killer pleads guilty to murder, other counts in Beverly Hills shooting
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (CNS) -- An ex-convict pleaded guilty Thursday to murder and other counts in the shooting death of Jacqueline Avant, the wife of celebrated music executive Clarence Avant, during a burglary at the couple's Trousdale Estates home in Beverly Hills.
Aariel Maynor, 30, of Los Angeles, could face up to 170 years to life in state prison when he is sentenced March 30 at the Airport Courthouse in Los Angeles.
Maynor admitted killing the 81-year-old Avant, who was shot around 2:25 a.m. Dec. 1 inside her home in the 1100 block of Maytor Place. He also admitted shooting at a security guard -- who was not wounded -- during the Burglary.
Maynor, who appeared in court in a wheelchair and wearing a suicide-prevention vest, pleaded guilty to one count each of murder, attempted murder and being a felon in possession of a firearm, and two counts of residential burglary with a person present.
He also admitted allegations of using an assault long barrel pistol during the crimes, along with admitting prior robbery convictions from 2013 and 2018.
Superior Court Judge Kathryn Solorzano noted that a report indicated the 2013 robbery involved a woman who was kicked in the face and knocked unconscious, and that Maynor had been released on parole for the 2018 robbery in September 2021, just a few months before Avant's killing.
Deputy District Attorney Victor Avila told the judge Avant was shot after confronting Maynor, who also fired multiple shots'' at the couple's security guard, striking a vehicle. He subsequently broke into a home in the Hollywood Hills area and accidentally shot himself in a foot, the prosecutor said.
Los Angeles police responding to that burglary call found Maynor at the scene suffering from a gunshot wound to a foot, according to Beverly Hills Police Department Chief Mark Stainbrook.
Stainbrook said Los Angeles police contacted Beverly Hills police, and detectives "collected evidence connecting Maynor'' to the Avant shooting. Among the evidence collected was "a suspected weapon'' from the crime, described by police as an AR-15 rifle. Stainbrook said Maynor was on parole and has an "extensive'' criminal record, which bars him from possessing a weapon.
Video from the Avant home showed a shattered sliding-glass door, indicative of a break-in. Avant died at a hospital following the shooting. Clarence Avant, 90, was not injured.
Under questioning by the judge before his guilty plea was taken, the defendant agreed that he was entering his plea freely and voluntarily and concurred when asked if he was thinking in a "linear way.''
Maynor also acknowledged that he was giving up his right to a hearing to determine whether there was sufficient evidence to allow the case against him to proceed to trial, along with his right to a jury trial.
"Guilty,'' he said when asked about his plea to each of the five counts. The judge also cited a report indicating that Maynor may suffer from a bipolar mental condition and asked if that was correct, with the defendant responding, "Yes.''
In a written statement released shortly after Maynor's guilty plea, District Attorney George Gascón said, "This crime continues to shock the conscience. Mrs. Avant's death was a tragic loss felt by our entire community.''
Clarence Avant is known as the Godfather of Black Music, and has been regularly celebrated by artists such as Jay-Z and Diddy, L.A. Reid and Babyface. He began as a talent manager in the 1950s, worked at Venture Records in Southern California and founded L.A.-based Sussex Records and Avant Garde Broadcasting.
