MANASSAS, Va. — After more than two years, the man suspected of killing 56-year-old Yusuf Ozgur was found guilty. Jordan Anderson was convicted Tuesday of second-degree murder, two counts of aggravated assault and 42 additional felony charges, according to officials. However, the jury did not find that the killing was premeditated.
Ozgur, a father of two, was walking into a Manassas Denny's just before 2:30 a.m. on Dec. 26, 2019 to pick up a delivery order for a DoorDash customer when he unknowingly held the door open for two gunmen, who would end up killing him.
In a trial that lasted two weeks, multiple witnesses recounted how two masked and armed men had run into the restaurant in the early morning hours shouting at everyone to get on the ground. Anderson and his alleged accomplice, Ryan Walker, held 23 people hostage, but their robbery plans were foiled when they realized a manager had escaped out the back and run for help. Surveillance videos shown during the trial captured the whole event.
A now-17-year-old girl, who had been grabbing a late-night meal with her cousins and friend when the men came in, testified at the trial that she heard Anderson say he "wanted to shoot someone" before he left that night. Anderson did just that, shooting one of the customers in the stomach before running out of the restaurant with his co-conspirator, and then shooting and killing Ozgur on their way out the door.
"There were twenty-two people victimized at the Denny’s that early morning and we fought to obtain justice for them," the Commonwealth's Attorney Amy Ashworth said Tuesday following the conviction.
All of the charges Anderson was convicted of are listed below:
- Second-degree murder
- Two counts of aggravated malicious wounding
- 17 counts of abduction for pecuniary benefit
- One count of robbery, one count of attempted robbery
- One count of burglary at night with the intent to commit robbery
- 22 counts of use or display of a firearm in the commission of a felony
Anderson is due back in court on Oct. 7, when his sentencing date will be determined.
Walker is set to stand trial in April. He is charged with one count of murder, one count of malicious wounding and one count of robbery.
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