‘A marathon, not a sprint’: A year after her murder, Mahogany Jackson’s family awaits closure

By Ayron Lewallen, Riley Conlon

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    BIRMINGHAM, Alabama (WVTM) — One year after her kidnapping and murder, the family of a Birmingham woman is still awaiting justice.

Mahogany Jackson was reported missing on Feb. 25, 2024. Police say she texted her family that day, asking for help and saying she had been kidnapped.

Early the next day, police found her body in the 1700 block of Laurel Avenue. Investigators determined at the scene that she had been shot.

Eight people, Giovonnie Clapp, Blair Green, Francis Harris, Teja Lewis, Si’Niya McCall, Jeremiah McDowell, Brandon Pope and Airana Robinson have been charged in Jackson’s death.

Police say that they were able to find Mahogany’s body, as well as the people suspected of kidnapping and killing her, thanks to the assistance of the public.

In a court appearance back in March, detectives said they believe the entire situation began with a stolen gun.

When the suspects gave their statements, investigators said they told police Jackson stole a gun from one of them earlier, but when that happened was unclear. Then, they say that a gun and some money were stolen from her purse.

The suspects said Jackson was at Pope’s house the day she passed and was trying to get back what she felt was hers. It’s unclear if she got there on her own or if it was against her own. The defense attorneys claimed Jackson questioned him about the stolen gun and money. She even made him strip to prove he didn’t have it.

Pope told Harris to “do something to her” because she made him strip. The detective said Jackson was assaulted multiple times throughout the time she was being held against her will.

Later in the day before Jackson died, she was put in Harris’ car, and he, Pope and McDowell took her to clean Harris’ car out — even though the defense claims Harris said they were taking her back to her house. That’s when Harris is accused of pulling the trigger and shooting Jackson in the back of the head.

A large portion of the crimes were caught on camera

Then-Birmingham Police Chief Scott Thurmond called what the suspects did to Jackson “heinous.”

“The facts of this case are deplorable and sickening,” said Thurmond. “Saddest of all, they were made public by the suspects’ decision to videotape portions of this horrific act.”

Jefferson County District Attorney Danny Carr said this was one of the most gruesome murders he’s ever seen.

“Since I’ve been in this office — I’ve had some years,” he said. “The homicide at the Airport Inn Hotel where three people were brutally murdered on Thanksgiving morning. I actually handled the case and tried it myself. That was a very brutal case. This one—unlike that one—the brutality kind of played itself out in real time because there’s video.”

Earlier this month, all eight suspects appeared before a judge for a pre-trial hearing.

When asked if they were ready to offer plea deals to the defendants, state prosecutors declined. That’s because they’re seeking the death penalty.

The state said it handed over all the evidence it has to the defendants’ legal teams. One attorney said it was more evidence than he’d seen on any other case.

Jackson’s family was also in court that day. Carr said there’s a long way to go in the legal process, but he hopes they stay encouraged.

“Every time we have these hearings, obviously every time they walk through the door, is pulling the scab off the wound, so to speak,” Carr said. “I feel for that for the family. That’s a lot to go through. One thing we told them is that this is a marathon, not a sprint. Just be patient with the process, be consistent with it, and stay prayed up. Hopefully, we get the results that we need and that Mahogany’s family deserves.”

Motions for the case are due to the judge by April 14. The state said it isn’t looking to try all the defendants together. That’s because the details of what happened that night almost a year ago make that difficult.

Then, on April 28, there will be a motion hearing where the judge could set a trial date and decide if all defendants will be tried together.

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