24-year-old woman spared execution in murder of pregnant Birmingham mother of 5

A 24-year-old woman has been spared the death penalty following her conviction in the brutal 2023 shooting death of a pregnant Birmingham mother.

A Jefferson County jury found Aaniyah Nowden guilty of capital murder on Thursday for the killing of 36-year-old Justina Wallace, which occurred on July 7, 2023. While prosecutors aggressively sought capital punishment, the jury returned on Friday to sentence Nowden to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

The Circumstances of the Crime

The shooting, which was captured on cell phone video, took place just before 7 p.m. in the 3200 block of 17th Avenue North. Wallace, who was several months pregnant at the time, was holding her toddler daughter when she was shot. Two of her other sons were mere feet away during the incident. Wallace was transported to UAB Hospital, where she was pronounced dead the following day.

Social media footage showed Nowden pointing a weapon at Wallace, who was seen in the images holding her daughter, Sky. Just two days later, friends and family held a "bittersweet" party for Sky’s second birthday. Wallace left behind a total of five children.

Trial Proceedings

The 10-day trial, presided over by Jefferson County Circuit Judge Alaric May, revealed that the argument involved Nowden and the man who fathered Wallace's child, as well as Nowden's own child born while she was in custody. Nowden, who was eight months pregnant at the time of the shooting, mounted a self-defense claim, arguing she felt threatened by Wallace.

"They keep showing this picture of this woman, God rest her soul, of her and this sweet little baby," defense attorney Louvenia Borom told jurors. "That was not her on that day. She was aggressive, she was belligerent."

Prosecutors dismissed the self-defense argument, emphasizing that Wallace was unarmed and posed no threat. "This defendant shot and killed a pregnant woman who was carrying nothing but her baby Sky in her arms," said Deputy District Attorney Jason Wilson. Deputy District Attorney Amanda Wineman added, "The law does not say you get to shoot people who are yelling at you that you don’t like. That’s not self-defense. It’s cold-blooded murder."

Final Verdict

The jury ultimately opted to dismiss capital charges regarding the death of Wallace’s unborn child and the murder of a child, focusing the conviction on the capital murder of Wallace. Jefferson County District Attorney Danny Carr praised the prosecution team and law enforcement for their diligence, noting, "There are absolutely no winners in this case. People need to think before they grab that gun and change their lives forever."

Represented by Borom and Erskine Mathis, the defense expressed respect for the jury's decision. "Given the nature of the offense and the families involved, it is a tragic circumstance, but we are thankful that the jury decided to find her not guilty on two of the counts of capital murder and decided not to impose the death penalty on our client," Borom said.