A Black mother in Alabama died alongside her five-year-old son in a triple homicide, but not before texting her alleged killer’s name.
Arkia “Kia” Berry died with her young son and boyfriend in their car as a gunman shot them down in July 2024. When police investigated the scene, they found the 28-year-old’s phone with a single text message sent to a friend containing the word “Jaco.”
The ominous text provided crucial insight into who could have shot the young family, which included Berry’s son, Landyn Brooks, and 28-year-old boyfriend, Eric Ashley Jr. It resulted in the arrest of Jacorian Deshawn McGregor.
The 25-year-old, whose nickname is “Jaco,” was charged with capital murder. According to AL.com, he appeared before a Jefferson County judge for a preliminary hearing on April 17.
Birmingham homicide Det. Jarvelius Tolliver recounted the events that took the lives of a mother, son, and her partner.
Tolliver shared how Berry drove the blue Nissan Maxima that jumped a curb and came to a stop as bullets pierced the vehicle. When officers arrived at Echo Highlands Park after a 911 call reported an accident, they found the car parked outside a home near the park entrance. The vehicle was struck with multiple bullet holes, with the three bodies that lay dead inside.
Among the 20 to 30 shell casings that were recovered from and around the car, they also saw money scattered along the roadway. According to Tolliver, most of the gunfire was directed at the passenger’s side where Ashley sat.
The car where the shots were allegedly fired was determined as a green Kia Soul. The car’s owner claimed the vehicle had been stolen days before the fatal incident. Police found the vehicle in flames the next day.
Tolliver revealed they used further analysis of the victims’ phones to place McGregor at the scene of the crime. Flock images and other videos also showed an additional car, a black Mercedes-Benz, following the Kia that day. The driver of the Benz revealed that he had also driven around in the Kia. He also confirmed his friendship with Ashley and Berry.
The Mercedes driver shared that McGregor told him he shot at the car. A recovery of McGregor’s own phone showed several conversations about the incident, with others advising him to “lay low, stay out of sight, stay hidden.”
Despite McGregor’s attorney questioning Tolliver’s argument, a judge ruled in favor of the evidence being enough to continue the case.
Berry worked as a hairstylist in her Birmingham community, while Landyn was set to begin Kindergarten that fall. Berry’s cousin, Aniya, remembered her as a doting mother who took great care of her child.
“She loved her baby so much. Everything he wanted, he had. Everything he needed, he had. She took care of her baby the way she was supposed to,” Aniya shared with AL.com.
McGregor remains held without bond in Jefferson County Jail.
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