Mahogany Jackson, a Birmingham mother held against her will and tortured for hours before she was killed by a gunshot to the back of her head, was stripped, handcuffed, beaten, spit on and forced to perform sex acts at gunpoint, a detective testified on Monday.
The horrifying ordeal was recorded by some of the eight suspects are charged in Jackson’s death, police testified.
Three of the suspects – Brandon Pope, 24, Francis “Ace” Harris, 25, and Jeremiah “Kodak” McDowell, 18 – are charged with capital murder during a first-degree kidnapping and capital murder during first-degree sodomy.
Authorities said Monday that Harris is the suspect they believe fired the fatal shot. A projectile was recovered from Jackson’s head.
Jackson leaves behind a 3-year-old daughter.
Five others are charged with felony murder – Teja Lewis, 26, Si’Niya McCall, 23, Giovannie Clapp, 23, Blair Green, 25, and Ariana Lashay Robinson, 23. They are also accused of first-degree kidnapping and first-degree sodomy.
Additionally, Lewis and Clapp and are also charged with second-degree assault for allegedly pistol-whipping Jackson.
The three capital murder suspects are being held without bond.
The five suspects not charged with a capital offense appeared Monday before Jefferson County Judge Kechia Davis.
After hearing almost two hours of chilling testimony, the judge ruled there were no conditions under which the suspects could be released on bond that would keep the community safe, or even the suspects safe.
“The community is outraged,” Judge Davis said.
Lewis and Green also had their bonds on previous charges revoked – Lewis for discharging a firearm into an occupied building and Green for burglary.
Jackson’s mother, Gail Maddox Trotter, was in court for the testimony and visibly distraught throughout the proceedings.
“Obviously it was another difficult day for the family hearing that testimony,” said Jefferson County District Attorney Danny Carr.
“We assured them that we’re going to do the best we can to bring justice and hold them accountable for the horrific acts perpetrated against Mahogany.”
“This is a marathon, not a sprint,’’ Carr said of the trek toward justice.
The investigation began just before 8 a.m. on Sunday, Feb. 25, when Jackson messaged family members that she was being held hostage in apartment 3 at Serenity Apartments in southwest Birmingham.
She sent her location and told them not to call her, but to call police.
Her body was found in the early-morning hours of Monday, Feb. 26, under a mattress at an illegal dump site in the 1700 block of Laurel Avenue that is known as “Dead Man’s Road.”
Under questioning by Jefferson County Deputy District Attorney Charissa Henrich, Birmingham homicide Det. Mark Green testified in detail at Monday’s Aniah’s Law hearing about Jackson’s ordeal.
Green testified that as investigators were at the site where Jackson’s body was found, a witness contacted police with details and videos of what had taken place.
That witnesses told police Harris told him he shot Jackson, and he identified all of those involved in Jackson’s abduction.
There were five videos in all, Green said. Most of the videos were recorded by McDowell, with portions of them also videoed by McCall.
The abduction began at the McMillon Avenue home of Pope, Green said.
Authorities said Jackson arrived at Pope’s home Saturday night with several of the suspects, all of whom she knew.
One of the videos – taken outside Pope’s house – showed Lewis and McCall stomping and spitting on Jackson.
Jackson was on the ground, Green testified, while she was repeatedly assaulted by several of the suspects.
At one point, Lewis was straddling Jackson while punching her in the head.
The video shows Jackson saying that her attackers “had won” and to just let her go.
In one of the videos, Green testified, Lewis was seen taking off Jackson’s shirt.
Lewis also was videoed dragging the nude Jackson by her hair toward a vehicle.
McCall was seen on the video yelling for someone to “pop the trunk,” Green said. Clapp, he said, was recording at that point.
Jackson was then moved to Serenity Apartments where Lewis and McCall were roommates. Four more videos were recorded there, the detective said.Birmingham police investigate the kidnapping and murder of young Birmingham mother Mahogany Jackson.
Jackson was then shown being forced to perform oral sex on defendant Blair Green. Lewis and McCall, the detective said, were holding Jackson at gunpoint, forcing her into the sex act.
The sexual assault was taking place in McCall’s bedroom.
Lewis, investigator Green said, was holding the back of Jackson’s head and McCall was holding the gun and recording the assault.
Clapp, he said, was also present and urging on the sexual assault, saying Jackson “better do it right.”
McCall, the detective said, threatened something would happen to Jackson if Blair Green did not “enjoy” the oral sex.
At one point, McCall made Jackson pull down her pants, and told McDowell to sexually assault her. There was no testimony indicating another sexual assault took place.
All of the suspects were at Lewis’ apartment at one time or another while Jackson was being held against her will.
Robinson, Detective Green said, got there not long before the ordeal ended but was seen on video “getting in Jackson’s face” and pinning her against the wall. She was reportedly not there during the sexual assault.
Suspect Green and Clapp had left at that point.
Jackson was then taken from Lewis’ apartment by Pope, Harris and McDowell, the investigator said.
Authorities believe she was then fatally shot shortly after sending the help messages to her family.
After they left, Lewis, McCall and Robinson said they went to pick up Robinson’s children.
When initially questioned by police, Lewis and McCall denied any knowledge of the incident. They changed their statements after being shown the videos, Green testified.
Attorneys for the five felony murder suspects attempted to lessen their clients’ culpability in the crimes.
Suspect Green’s attorney said his client did not touch or harm Jackson while she was being forced to perform oral sex on him.
Some of the other attorneys admitted their clients may have participated in the assaults but were not present when Jackson was killed.
The detective testified to at least two statements being made throughout Jackson’s captivity alluding to death, including that Jackson was “fixin to die.”
“This was a horrific attack perpetrated against Miss Jackson,’’ Henrich said. “She was subjected for a period of time to – there’s really no other way to say it – torture which ultimately led to her death.”
“The nature of these offenses was horrific,’’ Henrich said.
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