An Alabama woman is facing the death penalty after allegedly shooting another pregnant woman in the head during a dispute over a man. Aaniyah Nowden, 24, who was eight months pregnant at the time, is accused of killing Justina Wallace, 36, who was also pregnant, in front of Wallace's children in Birmingham in July 2023.
The Incident
According to prosecutors, the shooting occurred after an argument between the two women over a man who has children with both of them. The man was present during the incident. Video evidence shows Nowden shooting Wallace, who was holding her daughter Sky in her arms, while Wallace's other children were nearby.
Wallace was taken to the hospital and pronounced dead the following day. Nowden gave birth in jail after the incident.
Legal Proceedings
Nowden has been charged with three counts of capital murder: murder of two or more people, murder of a child, and murder in the presence of children. A jury is currently deliberating whether she is guilty. If convicted, she faces a potential death sentence.
Nowden admits to shooting Wallace but claims it was in self-defense, arguing that she feared for her life. Her defense attorneys described Wallace as 'aggressive' and 'belligerent' and suggested she was under the influence of substances.
However, prosecutors maintain that Wallace was unarmed and posed no threat. Deputy District Attorney Jason Wilson stated, 'This defendant shot and killed a pregnant woman who was carrying nothing but her baby Sky in her arms. Justina had no weapon, no gun, she wasn't attacking anybody.'
Fellow Deputy District Attorney Amanda Wineman added, 'The idea that this woman was holding a child was somehow a threat to her because she's yelling at a deadbeat piece of trash who is not doing anything for her daughter. The law does not say you get to shoot people who are yelling at you that you don't like.'
Defense Arguments
Nowden's defense criticized the prosecution for presenting a partial picture and calling biased witnesses, including Wallace's two sons, who were eight and nine at the time of the shooting. Defense attorney Louvenia Borom reminded the jury that a conviction requires no reasonable doubt and that the decision is not a 'multiple choice' test.
This trial follows a previous mistrial due to an insufficient number of jurors after striking people from the pool.
Victim's Family
Shamari Cooke, Wallace's sister, described her as a devoted mother to her five children. 'She was all about doing better for her kids, working every day trying to make a meaningful life between her and her kids,' Cooke told WVTM in 2023. 'She was doing good, and I just hate that she won't be here to see her kids grow up.' The family celebrated Sky's birthday just days after Wallace's death.
