Pregnant woman arrested in killing of pregnant woman holding baby faces possible execution

A Jefferson County jury is currently weighing the fate of Aaniyah Nowden, a 24-year-old woman accused in the fatal shooting of a pregnant Birmingham mother.

The Case

Nowden is facing three counts of capital murder in connection to the July 7, 2023, death of 36-year-old Justina Wallace. The charges include the capital murder of Wallace and her unborn child, capital murder of a child, and capital murder of Wallace in the presence of her children. Prosecutors are actively pursuing the death penalty for Nowden, who was eight months pregnant at the time of the incident.

The shooting took place in the 3200 block of 17th Avenue North. Captured on cell phone video, the encounter occurred shortly before 7 p.m. Wallace was rushed to UAB Hospital, where she was pronounced dead the following day.

Trial Proceedings

Testimony revealed that at the time of her death, Wallace was carrying her toddler daughter, Sky. Two of Wallace's sons, who were ages 8 and 9 at the time, were also feet away from the shooting. In total, Wallace left behind five children. Just days after the tragedy, the family held a bittersweet birthday celebration for Sky’s second birthday.

The 10-day trial, presided over by Jefferson County Circuit Judge Alaric May, began on May 18. This follows a previous attempt earlier this month that ended in a mistrial due to a lack of available jurors.

Arguments and Deliberation

During the trial, Nowden testified in her own defense, claiming she feared for her life and acted in self-defense. Defense attorneys Louvenia Borom and Erskin Mathis argued that Wallace had been aggressive and that the state's case relied on biased witnesses and an incomplete investigation. Borom urged jurors to consider the evidence without reasonable doubt, telling them the decision was not a multiple-choice question but a matter of finding the defendant not guilty.

Deputy District Attorneys Amanda Wineman and Jason Wilson painted a different picture, emphasizing that Wallace was unarmed and posed no threat. Wineman rejected the defense's characterization of Nowden, stating that the law does not allow one to shoot others simply for yelling. Prosecutors maintained that the evidence points to a cold-blooded murder, urging jurors to find Nowden guilty of the killings of both Wallace and her unborn child.

Jurors officially began deliberations on Wednesday afternoon following closing arguments.