Jefferson County prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for the eight people charged in the horrific kidnapping, torture and killing of Mahogany Jackson.
Deputy District Attorney Charissa Henrich on Friday filed the motion to officially notify the court of the district attorney’s office decision to seek death if the suspects are convicted of capital murder.
Those charged are Brandon Pope, 25, Francis “Ace” Harris, 25, and Jeremiah “Kodak” McDowell, 19, Blair Green, 26, Si’Niya McCall, 24, Teja Lewis, 26, Giovonnie Clapp, 24, and Airana Lashay Robinson.
Green, McCall, Lewis, Clapp and Robinson were initially arrested on felony murder, but a grand jury in September increased the charges against them to capital murder.
Henrich, in her motion, said execution is warranted because ‘’the capital offense was especially heinous, atrocious, or cruel compared to other capital offenses.”
Attorney D. Hunter Carmichael, of the Jefferson County Public Defender’s Office, on Sunday responded to the prosecutor’s motion with another motion to have the judge prohibit imposing the death penalty without a unanimous jury verdict.
All eight suspects were in court Monday for their arraignments, and all pleaded not guilty.
All eight suspects in the brutal slaying of Mahogany Jackson have now been charged with capital. They are: Giovonnie Clapp, Teja Lewis, Airana Robinson, Brandon Pope, Francis Harris, Jeremiah McDowell, Si’Nya McCall and Blair Green.(Jefferson County Jail)
Harris is also charged with capital murder during a rape/sodomy.
Testimony indicated Harris is the suspect believed to have fired the fatal shot.
Jackson’s captors recorded much of the ordeal.
The 20-year-old Jackson left behind a 3-year-old daughter.
Read full coverage of the case here
The investigation began Sunday, Feb. 25, when Jackson’s family received messages from her saying she was being held against her will and to call police. She also sent her location, which was the apartment of her friend – Lewis.
The messages were sent about 4 a.m. but not seen by family until shortly before 8 a.m.
Family and police then went to Lewis’s apartment, who initially denied Jackson had been there, but later said she had been there but had left about 2 a.m.
Police and family continued throughout Sunday to search and investigate until Jackson’s body was found early Monday on southwest Birmingham street known as Dead Man’s Road, an illegal trash dumping site.
Birmingham homicide Det. Mark Green previously testified that a witness came forward early in the investigation with videos, evidence and the location of Jackson’s body.
That witness, Det. Green said, came forward to clear his name after he felt he had been accused on Facebook as being involved in Jackson’s disappearance.
Det. Green said Jackson possibly stole a gun from someone, and someone had then stolen it back from her and she was upset. That, he said, may have led to her violent death.
While Jackson was held against her will, Det. Green has previously testified, she was forced at gunpoint to perform oral sex on suspect Green. She was also stripped, punched, spat on, kicked and dragged by her hair to a vehicle.
The attacks happened at two locations – one on McMillon Avenue at the home of Pope and the second at Lewis’s home at Serenity apartments.
The detective also said one of the suspects discovered by looking at Jackson’s phone that she had messaged family members, saying she was being held hostage and sending them her location.
It was shortly after that was discovered that Harris, Pope and McDowell left Serenity apartments with Jackson.
Pope told police he was driving Harris’s Chevrolet Malibu and Jackson was told they were going to Dead Man’s Road to clean trash out of Harris’s car before taking her home.
Both Pope and McDowell said they – including Jackson – were cleaning trash out of Harris’s vehicle when Harris walked up behind Jackson and shot her in the back of the head.
All of the suspects remain held without bond in the Jefferson County Jail.
