An Alabama mother was kidnapped and tortured for hours before being raped and killed by a gang of eight, police say.
Mahogany Jackson, 20, was stripped naked, handcuffed, punched, spat on and forced to perform sex acts at gunpoint in a Birmingham apartment before being shot in the back of the head on Sunday, February 25.
According to prosecutors, her torturers were four men and four women.
Around 8 a.m. on February 25, Jackson messaged family members to say she was being held hostage in Apartment 3 of Serenity Apartments in southwest Birmingham.
The mother’s body was found in the early morning hours of the next day under a mattress in an illegal dump in the 1700 block of Laurel Avenue, known as “Dead Man’s Road.”
Several perpetrators made videos of the torture and abuse before Jackson, who leaves behind a three-year-old daughter, was murdered.
Mahogany Jackson, 20, was stripped naked, handcuffed, punched, spat on and forced to perform sex acts at gunpoint in a Birmingham apartment before being shot in the back of the head
Several perpetrators made videos of the torture and abuse before Jackson was killed
Around 8 a.m. on February 25, Jackson messaged family members to say she was being held hostage in Apartment 3 of Serenity Apartments in southwest Birmingham.
Giovonnie Clapp, Blair Green, Teja Lewis, Sinya McCall and Airana Robinson have been charged with murder, first-degree kidnapping and first-degree sodomy. They were denied bail during a hearing on Monday.
Jeremiah McDowell, 18, Francis Harris, 25, and Brandon Pope, 24, have been charged with first-degree kidnapping and murder. They are also being held without bond.
Authorities said Monday that Harris is the suspect they believe fired the fatal shot after a projectile was recovered from Jackson’s head.
The young mother’s ordeal began when she arrived at Pope’s home on McMillon Avenue on Saturday evening with a number of suspects, all of whom she knew, Birmingham homicide detectives. Mark Green testified at Monday’s hearing.
The kidnapping began at the property and videos taken by the suspects show Lewis and McCall stomping and spitting on Jackson outside Pope’s home.
Jackson lay on the ground, Green testified, as she was repeatedly attacked by several suspects.
At one point, Lewis straddled Jackson as he punched her in the head.
The disturbing footage reportedly shows Jackson telling her attackers that they “won” and begging to be released.
Jackson leaves behind a three-year-old daughter
Jackson’s body was found in the early morning hours of the next day under a mattress in an illegal dump in the 1700 block of Laurel Avenue, known as “Dead Man’s Road.”
Blair Green (left) and Giovonnie Clapp (right) have been charged with murder, first-degree kidnapping and first-degree sodomy
Teja Lewis (right) and Sinya McCall (left) were roommates in the Birmingham apartment where much of the torture took place. They have been charged with murder, first-degree kidnapping and first-degree sodomy.
Francis Harris, 25, (left) and Brandon Pope, 24, (right) have been charged with first-degree kidnapping and murder. Harris is the suspect who police say fired the fatal shot.
Jeremiah McDowell, 18, charged with first-degree kidnapping and murder. Police believe he was part of the group that took Jackson from the Serenity Apartments building to the scene where she was fatally shot.
In another video, Lewis was seen taking off Jackson’s shirt and dragging the naked Jackson by her hair to a vehicle.
McCall was seen on the video yelling for someone to “break the trunk,” Green told the court.
Jackson was then moved to Serenity Apartments, where Lewis and McCall were roommates.
Four more videos of Jackson’s torture were recorded there, the detective said.
Jackson was then shown being forced to perform oral sex on defendant Blair Green in McCall’s bedroom.
McCall, the detective said, threatened that something would happen to Jackson if Blair Green didn’t “enjoy” the oral sex.
At one point, McCall forced Jackson to pull down her pants and told McDowell to sexually assault her. There were no testimonies indicating that sexual abuse had occurred again.
Police believe all suspects were present at Lewis’ apartment at various times during the night during the attacks.
Jackson was then taken from Lewis’ apartment by Pope, Harris and McDowell and fatally shot after sending the help messages to her family.
Lewis and McCall initially denied any knowledge of the incident when questioned by police.
They changed their statements after seeing the videos, which were sent to police by a witness, Green testified.
“This was a horrific attack on Miss Jackson,” Jefferson County Deputy District Attorney Charissa Henrich said Monday.
‘For a while she was subjected to – I can’t really put it any other way – torture that ultimately led to her death.’
Adding: ‘The nature of these offenses was appalling.’