November 24, 2025 • 11 mins
In this episode of Hunting 4 Answers: In February 2024, 20-year-old Mahogany Jackson sent a chilling text to her family: “I’ve been kidnapped. Send help. Don’t call.” Hours later, she was gone. What investigators uncovered would become one of Birmingham’s most disturbing and unforgettable cases. Now, eight people stand trial for the crimes committed against her, while her family continues the fight for justice. Anyone with information is urged to contact the Birmingham Police Homicide Unit at 205-254-1764 or CrimeStoppers at 205-254-7777.
This is the story of Mahogany Jackson.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hunting for Answers is a production of the Black Effect
Podcast Network and iHeartRadio. Welcome to Hunting for Answers, a
true crime podcast. I'm your host Hunter, and today we're
highlighting a case that happened in February twenty twenty four,
sending shockwaves through an entire state. A twenty year old
(00:24):
mother from Jasper, Alabama, sent a desperate text message to
her family, I've been kidnapped. Send help, don't call. The
message included her location, but by the time help arrived,
it was too late. What followed was one of the
most brutal and disturbing crimes in Alabama's recent history, a
(00:49):
crime so horrific that the police chief called it deplorable
and sickening. Eight suspects all facing the death penalty, and
a family forever shattered. This is the story of Mahogany Jackson.
(01:13):
Mahogany Jaquez Jackson was just twenty years old. She was
from Jasper, Alabama, a small city about an hour northwest
of Birmingham. She was a mother to a young daughter.
Her mother, Gal Maddox, said that Mahogany was trying to
get things in order to be a better mother for
(01:33):
her daughter. But on the night of February twenty fourth,
twenty twenty four, Mahogany's life would be cut tragically short
and a series of events that would shock the community.
The Nightmare began that Saturday evening, Mahogany was with a
group of people she knew. Investigators later revealed that the
(01:57):
violence began after an allegation. The suspects claimed Mahogany had
stolen a gun from one of them earlier, though when
and how remained unclear. According to detectives, that allegation became
the trigger for what came next. What happened over the
(02:19):
next several hours was captured on video. In court, detective
Mark Green walked through images and footage recovered from the
suspects phones. He testified that Mahogany was dragged, spit on, slapped, kicked,
and punched. Multiple suspects in the videos were holding guns,
(02:43):
pointing them directly at her. At one point, one defendant
struck her repeatedly in the head with an object described
in testimony as a baseball. She was then taken to
an apartment where the violence continued. According to testimony, she
(03:03):
was restrained and subjected to further abuse, including sexual violence.
The videos recovered from the suspect's own phones showed the
brutality unfolding while Mahogany was held against her will. Somewhere
during that nightmare. In the early hours of February twenty fifth,
(03:27):
Mahogany managed to do something unimaginable considering the circumstances. She
texted her mother, I've been kidnapped. Send help, don't call.
The message also included a location, an apartment later connected
to one of the female suspects. Mahogany's mother, Gail Maddox,
(03:50):
received the text message and immediately contacted police, but when
officers arrived, they found the apartment empty. Mahogany had already
been moved. At two nineteen am on Monday February twenty six,
officers from the Birmingham Police South Precinct responded to a
(04:15):
call of a deceased person on the side of the
road at seventeenth Street Southwest and Laurel Avenue in Birmingham.
When officers arrived, they made a gruesome discovery. Under two
mattresses lay the remains of twenty year old Mahogany Jackson.
(04:36):
She had suffered a gunshot wound in the back of
the head A family member reported Mahogany missing on Sunday,
February twenty fifth, just hours before her remains were discovered.
By then, detectives were already working the case. Within forty
eight hours, seven suspects were in custody and eighth was
(05:01):
arrested days later. At a press conference on February twenty eighth,
Birmingham Police Chief Scott Thurmond called the crime deplorable in sickening.
He said, the facts of this case are deplorable in sickening.
This is undoubtedly one of the most heinous acts I've seen.
(05:22):
The eight suspects ranged in ages from eighteen to twenty five.
All were from communities across the Greater Birmingham area, including
Birmingham and Bessemer. The suspects were identified as Francis Ace
Harris twenty five, Brandon Pope twenty four, Jeremiah Kodak McDowell eighteen,
(05:48):
Giovanni Renee Clap twenty three, Blair Angel Green twenty five,
Teja Lewis twenty five, Sinaiah McCall twenty three, and Arianna
Leshey Robinson aged twenty three. Five women and three men
all facing capital murder charges in connection with abduction. Assault
(06:14):
and the death of Mahogany Jackson. When the first arrests
were made in late February twenty twenty four, three suspects
were charged with capital murder while five others faced felony
murder charges, but that would soon change. In September twenty
twenty four, a Jefferson County grand jury upgraded the charges
(06:37):
against the five remaining defendants, elevating them to capital murder
as well, and by December, District Attorney Danny Carr announced
that the state would seek the death penalty for all
eight defendants. In March twenty twenty four, at a preliminary
(06:58):
hearing Birmingham Police, the East Detective Grain testified about what
investigators recovered Jefferson County DA. Carr said the brutality played
out in real time because there was video evidence. Investigators
believe Francis Ace Harris fired the fatal shot that took
(07:20):
Mahogany's life, But under Alabama law, anyone involved in a
felony that results in a death, like kidnapping or sexual violence,
can face capital murder charges even if they never pulled
the trigger. Prosecutors say each defendant played a role in
(07:41):
what happened that night. Now, all eight defendants remain in
custody without bond as the case moved through the courts.
Mahogany's mother was a regular presence in the hearings. In
February twenty twenty five, one year after her daughter's tragic passing,
(08:03):
she spoke to reporters about her pain. Not a day
goes by that she does not cross my mind, she said.
She said she felt she had to keep going for
her other children and for justice for Mahogany. She also
said she was in agreement with the death penalty. They
(08:25):
showed my daughter no mercy. They laughed when they were
torturing her. She didn't have a judge nor jury. The
world would be better without them. Justice for Mahogany, she said.
In early May twenty twenty five, seven of the eight
defendants appeared before Judge Keisha Davis. That day, the state
(08:49):
announced the trial order Francis Ace Harris first, followed by
Teja Lewis, then Snaya McCall. The judge stated she intended
to try at least one or two of the cases
before the end of twenty twenty five. At an earlier hearing,
(09:10):
defense attorneys mentioned new evidence had entered discovery details have
not been publicly announced as of now. All eight defendants
remain in custody and have not pleaded guilty. If convicted
of capital murder, each could face life in prison without
(09:32):
parole or the death penalty. The trials could take time
and be emotionally heavy. The video evidence alone will be
difficult for anyone to watch, but for Mahogany's family, this
is the road to justice. Mahogany was just twenty years old,
(09:56):
a mother, a daughter, and a friend. She cared deeply
for her family and she had her whole entire life
ahead of her. As we close out this episode, remember
to share Mahogany's story. Her life was taken in one
of the most unimaginable ways, and she, along with her family,
(10:18):
deserves justice. Our thoughts and prayers remain with her loved
ones as they continue their fight for answers. If you
have any information about this case, please contact the Birmingham
Police Department. You can find their contact information in the
description below. Don't forget to follow Hunting for Answers to
(10:41):
stay updated on Mahogany's case and others like it. Subscribe
on YouTube and follow us on Instagram and TikTok for
more true crime stories and case updates. Lastly, if you're
watching on YouTube, share your thoughts on this case in
the comments below. Thank you, thank you so much for
joining us on another episode. Until next time. Hunting for
(11:21):
Answers is a production of the Black Effect Podcast Network.
For more podcasts from the Black Effect Podcast Network, visit
the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to
your favorite shows.
Hunting for Answers is a production of the Black Effect
Podcast Network and iHeartRadio. Welcome to Hunting for Answers, a
true crime podcast. I'm your host Hunter, and today we're
highlighting a case that happened in February twenty twenty four,
sending shockwaves through an entire state. A twenty year old
(00:24):
mother from Jasper, Alabama, sent a desperate text message to
her family, I've been kidnapped. Send help, don't call. The
message included her location, but by the time help arrived,
it was too late. What followed was one of the
most brutal and disturbing crimes in Alabama's recent history, a
(00:49):
crime so horrific that the police chief called it deplorable
and sickening. Eight suspects all facing the death penalty, and
a family forever shattered. This is the story of Mahogany Jackson.
(01:13):
Mahogany Jaquez Jackson was just twenty years old. She was
from Jasper, Alabama, a small city about an hour northwest
of Birmingham. She was a mother to a young daughter.
Her mother, Gal Maddox, said that Mahogany was trying to
get things in order to be a better mother for
(01:33):
her daughter. But on the night of February twenty fourth,
twenty twenty four, Mahogany's life would be cut tragically short
and a series of events that would shock the community.
The Nightmare began that Saturday evening, Mahogany was with a
group of people she knew. Investigators later revealed that the
(01:57):
violence began after an allegation. The suspects claimed Mahogany had
stolen a gun from one of them earlier, though when
and how remained unclear. According to detectives, that allegation became
the trigger for what came next. What happened over the
(02:19):
next several hours was captured on video. In court, detective
Mark Green walked through images and footage recovered from the
suspects phones. He testified that Mahogany was dragged, spit on, slapped, kicked,
and punched. Multiple suspects in the videos were holding guns,
(02:43):
pointing them directly at her. At one point, one defendant
struck her repeatedly in the head with an object described
in testimony as a baseball. She was then taken to
an apartment where the violence continued. According to testimony, she
(03:03):
was restrained and subjected to further abuse, including sexual violence.
The videos recovered from the suspect's own phones showed the
brutality unfolding while Mahogany was held against her will. Somewhere
during that nightmare. In the early hours of February twenty fifth,
(03:27):
Mahogany managed to do something unimaginable considering the circumstances. She
texted her mother, I've been kidnapped. Send help, don't call.
The message also included a location, an apartment later connected
to one of the female suspects. Mahogany's mother, Gail Maddox,
(03:50):
received the text message and immediately contacted police, but when
officers arrived, they found the apartment empty. Mahogany had already
been moved. At two nineteen am on Monday February twenty six,
officers from the Birmingham Police South Precinct responded to a
(04:15):
call of a deceased person on the side of the
road at seventeenth Street Southwest and Laurel Avenue in Birmingham.
When officers arrived, they made a gruesome discovery. Under two
mattresses lay the remains of twenty year old Mahogany Jackson.
(04:36):
She had suffered a gunshot wound in the back of
the head A family member reported Mahogany missing on Sunday,
February twenty fifth, just hours before her remains were discovered.
By then, detectives were already working the case. Within forty
eight hours, seven suspects were in custody and eighth was
(05:01):
arrested days later. At a press conference on February twenty eighth,
Birmingham Police Chief Scott Thurmond called the crime deplorable in sickening.
He said, the facts of this case are deplorable in sickening.
This is undoubtedly one of the most heinous acts I've seen.
(05:22):
The eight suspects ranged in ages from eighteen to twenty five.
All were from communities across the Greater Birmingham area, including
Birmingham and Bessemer. The suspects were identified as Francis Ace
Harris twenty five, Brandon Pope twenty four, Jeremiah Kodak McDowell eighteen,
(05:48):
Giovanni Renee Clap twenty three, Blair Angel Green twenty five,
Teja Lewis twenty five, Sinaiah McCall twenty three, and Arianna
Leshey Robinson aged twenty three. Five women and three men
all facing capital murder charges in connection with abduction. Assault
(06:14):
and the death of Mahogany Jackson. When the first arrests
were made in late February twenty twenty four, three suspects
were charged with capital murder while five others faced felony
murder charges, but that would soon change. In September twenty
twenty four, a Jefferson County grand jury upgraded the charges
(06:37):
against the five remaining defendants, elevating them to capital murder
as well, and by December, District Attorney Danny Carr announced
that the state would seek the death penalty for all
eight defendants. In March twenty twenty four, at a preliminary
(06:58):
hearing Birmingham Police, the East Detective Grain testified about what
investigators recovered Jefferson County DA. Carr said the brutality played
out in real time because there was video evidence. Investigators
believe Francis Ace Harris fired the fatal shot that took
(07:20):
Mahogany's life, But under Alabama law, anyone involved in a
felony that results in a death, like kidnapping or sexual violence,
can face capital murder charges even if they never pulled
the trigger. Prosecutors say each defendant played a role in
(07:41):
what happened that night. Now, all eight defendants remain in
custody without bond as the case moved through the courts.
Mahogany's mother was a regular presence in the hearings. In
February twenty twenty five, one year after her daughter's tragic passing,
(08:03):
she spoke to reporters about her pain. Not a day
goes by that she does not cross my mind, she said.
She said she felt she had to keep going for
her other children and for justice for Mahogany. She also
said she was in agreement with the death penalty. They
(08:25):
showed my daughter no mercy. They laughed when they were
torturing her. She didn't have a judge nor jury. The
world would be better without them. Justice for Mahogany, she said.
In early May twenty twenty five, seven of the eight
defendants appeared before Judge Keisha Davis. That day, the state
(08:49):
announced the trial order Francis Ace Harris first, followed by
Teja Lewis, then Snaya McCall. The judge stated she intended
to try at least one or two of the cases
before the end of twenty twenty five. At an earlier hearing,
(09:10):
defense attorneys mentioned new evidence had entered discovery details have
not been publicly announced as of now. All eight defendants
remain in custody and have not pleaded guilty. If convicted
of capital murder, each could face life in prison without
(09:32):
parole or the death penalty. The trials could take time
and be emotionally heavy. The video evidence alone will be
difficult for anyone to watch, but for Mahogany's family, this
is the road to justice. Mahogany was just twenty years old,
(09:56):
a mother, a daughter, and a friend. She cared deeply
for her family and she had her whole entire life
ahead of her. As we close out this episode, remember
to share Mahogany's story. Her life was taken in one
of the most unimaginable ways, and she, along with her family,
(10:18):
deserves justice. Our thoughts and prayers remain with her loved
ones as they continue their fight for answers. If you
have any information about this case, please contact the Birmingham
Police Department. You can find their contact information in the
description below. Don't forget to follow Hunting for Answers to
(10:41):
stay updated on Mahogany's case and others like it. Subscribe
on YouTube and follow us on Instagram and TikTok for
more true crime stories and case updates. Lastly, if you're
watching on YouTube, share your thoughts on this case in
the comments below. Thank you, thank you so much for
joining us on another episode. Until next time. Hunting for
(11:21):
Answers is a production of the Black Effect Podcast Network.
For more podcasts from the Black Effect Podcast Network, visit
the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to
your favorite shows.
Host
Hunter Gilmore
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