Prosecutor seeks death penalty for 8 charged with kidnapping and killing an Alabama woman

Hello, everyone. I'm Officer Truman Fitzgerald of the Birmingham Police Department's Public Information Division. Uh Joining me tonight for this press conference is BPD police Chief Scott Thurman, along with deputy police chief of the Detective Bureau, Sheila Finney, and members of our homicide team who work hard each and every day to bring justice like this case. We're announcing tonight. Uh Tonight, you will hear from BPD police Chief Scott Thurman about an update in the Mahogany Jackson homicide investigation. And at this time, Chief Scott Thurman, it's *** good evening. The Birmingham Police Department announces seven arrests have been made in the Mahogany Jackson homicide investigation on Sunday, February 25th, 2024. The Birmingham Police Department officers began investigating the missing persons case of 20 year old mahogany Jackson mahogany, sent *** text message to *** family member that she had been kidnapped early the following earlier, the fo early the following day, officers and detectives discovered Mahogany's body in the 1700 B of Laurel Avenue. Investigators determined that she had been shot with assistance from the community. Detectives not we were not only able to locate mahogany Jackson's body but detectives took seven suspects responsible for Mahogany's murder into custody within 48 hours of this investigation on Wednesday, February 28th, 2024 detectives were able to obtain arrest warrants for the following suspects. Giovanni Clapp Black female, 23 years of age, she is charged with felony murder, kidnapping, first degree sodomy first degree and assault. Second with injury Blair Green, black male. 25 years of age of Birmingham is charged with felony murder, kidnapping, first degree and sodomy first degree Tasia Lewis black female, 25 years of age of Birmingham is charged with felony murder, assault, second, injury with *** weapon. Francis Harris black male, 25 years of age of Birmingham. Alabama is charged with capital murder, sodomy, first degree and capital murder and kidnapping. First Sania mccall black female. 23 years of age of Bessemer Alabama is charged with felony murder, kidnapping first and sodomy first. Jeremiah mcdowell, *** black male, 18 years of age of Bessemer Alabama is charged with capital murder, sodomy first and capital murder with kidnapping. First Brandon Pope black male. 24 years of age of Birmingham. Alabama is charged with capital murder, kidnapping first and capital murder with sodomy first. The facts of this case are deplorable and sickening status of all they were made public by the suspect's decision to videotape portions of this horrific act. We hope to shield Mahogany's family and friends by withholding specific facts running the investigation. However, we have determined that Mahogany was *** victim of sexual assault with murder and kidnapping. Recently Mayor Randall Woodfin in the Birmingham Police Department have urged the public assistance to help the Birmingham Police Department investigate violent acts such as these described in this case in Birmingham, you answered the call. It's hurtful to know that seven individuals could participate in such vile acts. But this ca case highlights the strength and the effectiveness of the partnership between the Birmingham Police Department and our community as seven suspects are now behind the bars and will soon be in custody of the Jefferson County jail with no bond. And I'll tell you as many of, you know, I served *** number of years in the homicide unit and this is undoubtedly one of the most heinous acts I've seen in my career. It's ***, it's absolutely disgusting. And I'm very thankful to the men and women of the Birmingham Police Department who have worked tirelessly for many days and at very long hours to bring resolution to this particular case and get these individuals off the streets of Birmingham. And I also want to highlight the assistance of the, the, the citizens of Birmingham who came forward and gave us information that led to the rest of these individuals. And I can't thank them enough. J can you tell us how long um Mahogany was held hostage and tortured? And do you have *** possible letter? I will say that all these individuals were acquaintances that they were not strangers to one another. Uh, as far as an exact time I would ha along she was held, I don't have that information and you have *** potential motive. Uh, they're, I just said they're all acquaintances of one another. I don't want, uh, early Monday morning and you all went out there with the family to go look for her. What happened during that time? Were you all able to find her or clearly not at that moment? But what happened? Well, Monday is when we found her body, you know, Sunday is when we got the information about the fact that she had been kidnapped and began *** search to try to locate her. It was in the early hours of Monday morning that we received information that led us to where her body was. So we were able to recover and begin *** homicide investigation at that point. So in no way, you all made it to the apartment complex that we had been to that apartment complex on Sunday. So what happened there? We did make contact with someone. We did question some individuals, what came of that conversation? One of those individuals is charged. Did they admit to? I'm not gonna get into the specifics of the case because that would hurt the criminal case. But um it was all pieces of the puzzle, I guess if you could say and out of *** situation like these work with her texting her family. Members saying she was being hostage or asking them and then the police and you go to the department, can you just go in? Is that probable cause? Like, how does that work? So we have to look at the totality of circumstances. Each case is different, has *** different set of facts. We have to look at what we've got. And then, you know, there's different ways whether we need to obtain *** search warrant, we can gain consent or as you kind of alluded to, if the facts are just egregious enough, then we could go in and make sure no one's in danger. So of the seven people have most of them been compliant and talking to detectives who have been working on this case there. Again, that's something that will be need to come out in court. You know, that's, that's part of the criminal case. So how exactly did the public assist in identifying these suspects? And are you confident that these are all of the suspects? I am very confident that this is all the suspects. Um, just them giving us some of the information, information that they had seen that they had been made aware of giving that information to our detectives so they could follow up from there, which led us to the culmination of these individuals being in jail today. And chief, I know you said you can't tell them to vote up right now. But I saw is it is it true. Can you confirm there have been like *** video going around of *** fight prior to the murder that, well, I won't necessarily say there was *** fight, there's videos of some of these heinous acts taking place and that's something that led uh was *** pivotal piece of the investigation. Um So I will, I'll just leave it at that. How big *** role would you say that? Well, I think that was *** very big role because that kind of got the police involved. Otherwise we wouldn't have been involved prior to that time, had that information not gotten out to someone so they could alert us so we could be begin an investigation. The investigation initially began as *** missing persons case. Um, you know, our investigators spent all day out all most of that night trying to locate her following up on leads to see where she could be and things of that nature. And then she, you know, unfortunately *** few hours later we received information of where her body was. We went to that location and did indeed find her body. I just want to clarify something from earlier. Um Did the, the victims all sorry, the suspects all knew each other. Did they also know the victim? Yes, everyone involved in the case. Victim suspects were all acquainted with one another. Can you say if the person that led you to the body is one of the they are not. And if you know where mahogany was shot was at the apartment complex. And there again that some of the facts that the detectives has, they'll be, they're presenting in court, how much longer do you think it will take to kind of sort of wrap this case up before you get to court? Are there things that you, there's constantly, always things, you know, that are ongoing in *** case, there's *** lot of other leads and things to follow up on, you know, testing of evidence, getting, you know, things back from search warrants, things of that nature. So there's always just because an arrest is made, there's still *** lot of things that need to be done before we get to court to make sure that every stone is unturned, everything is checked into and evaluated. Do you all think that these are the only people that were involved? All seven? How many other locations was she taken to in the first apartment? There were some others, you know, there again, that's, that's something that's kind of critical to the case that, you know, only the people involved would know some of that information. So sharing that with the public could potentially hurt the criminal case in, in the future. You say she was, she was, I don't have that information. Is there anything you wanna say to the community? I know we've had it for several weeks days, we've been talking about homicides happening. Um And in 48 hours people came forward, which is not uh common in some of the cases that you all are dealing with. Uh Is there anything that you wanna say to those folks who came out and uh help the detective business? I would just like to drive home to, you know, our citizens that this is the outcomes that we can have. When we all work together, we can have get these people off the street very quickly to ensure the safety of everyone in Birmingham when we all work together and information is shared. And so these men and women who work in the Birmingham Police Department work very hard. They've, they, they haven't hardly been home working on this case and some of the other cases, but this is what can happen when we all work together and we share information, they won't stop as long as there's things to work on in this. As long as the public shares that information, we'll continue to follow up on it. All right. Thank you, everyone.