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A TEXT sent by a mom who died beside her boyfriend and her five-year-old son has helped investigators solve the triple murder.
In her final moments, Arkia Berry, a 28-year-old who went by Kia, sent a one-word text to her friend that officials believe was meant to expose her killer.
In July 2024, Berry, her 28-year-old boyfriend Eric Ashley Jr. and her young son Landyn Brooks were fatally shot inside her car.
Her blue Nissan Maxima was found in front of a house near the entrance of Echo Highlands Park in Birmingham, Alabama.
The car, full of bullet holes, seemed to have jumped a curb. Up to 30 shell casings were found at the scene.
Berry, who was driving the car, was found lying across the center console. Her boyfriend was next to her and her son was in the back seat on the driver’s side.
Investigators used surveillance footage and cell phone records to piece together what happened that summer evening.
Detective Jarvelius Tolliver shared the findings at a preliminary hearing for Jacorrian Deshawn McGregor, 25, last week.
McGregor has been charged with capital murder in connection to the deaths of Berry, Ashley and Brooks.
At 5:07 pm, a lime green Kia Soul was seen driving into the neighborhood. A minute later, Berry’s Nissan arrived.
Berry sent a crucial text at 5:09 pm, typing the word “Jaco,” which is a nickname for McGregor.
A minute later, the Kia sped off and the crash detection system in the Nissan automatically called the police.
Police searched McGregor’s phone and found that “he was having several conversations with people where they were talking about the incident that had taken place,” Tolliver said.
He added: “There were people telling him to lay low, stay out of sight, stay hidden.”
Meanwhile, John Robbins, McGregor’s lawyer, has called the case “somewhat suspect and based upon circumstantial evidence.”
CELL PHONE CONNECTION
Ashley last used his phone at 5:08 pm the night of the shooting when he called a contact saved as “Jaco.”
He had also made a call earlier in the day to a contact saved as “Jac.”
Investigators were able to obtain text messages from the “Jaco” contact that, according to Tolliver, showed Ashley and McGregor planning to meet.
Triple murder timeline
Jacorrian Deshawn McGregor, 25, has been charged for the murders of Arkia Berry, 28, her 28-year-old boyfriend Eric Ashley and her 5-year-old son Landyn Brooks.
Police found Berry and her loved ones shot to death shortly after 5 pm on July 13, 2024.
At 5:07 pm, a lime green Kia Soul was seen driving into Echo Highlands Park in Birmingham, Alabama.
At 5:08 pm Berry’s blue Nissan Maxima arrived at the neighborhood.
At 5:09 pm, Berry texted the word “Jaco,” which is McGregor’s nickname.
At 5:10 pm, the Kia sped off and the crash detection system in the Nissan automatically called the police.
However, the detective said, “It didn’t say a time,” adding, “I believe they had talked on the phone.”
Ashley previously searched for McGregor’s Facebook page, per records from the social media site.
McGregor also had given out his phone numbers to people, which matched the numbers in Ashley’s “Jaco” and “Jac” contacts, according to the Facebook records.
Both men’s phones were pinging off the same cell phone tower at the time of and in the area of the shooting, Tolliver said, citing phone records.
KIA FOUND ON FIRE
The day after Berry and her loved ones were killed, a lime green Kia Soul was found engulfed in flames.
Investigators found a woman who owned the Kia and she said it had been stolen days before the shooting.
Video footage showed the Kia being followed by a black Mercedes several times during the day of the shooting.
Investigators were able to find the Mercedes driver and he admitted to driving around with the Kia and that McGregor was driving it.
“He said McGregor told him he had shot,” Tolliver testified.
MCGREGOR’S LAWYER FIGHTS BACK
Robbins questioned Tolliver at last week’s hearing, during which the detective said that there was no video footage of anyone taking shots from the Kia.
He asked Tolliver if there was any physical evidence connecting McGregor to the Kia. Tolliver said there wasn’t.
Tolliver also admitted it was strange that the Kia’s owner did not report her car stolen and that he didn’t know of a link between McGregor and the Kia owner.
When Robbins asked if there were any other witnesses who placed McGregor in the Kia, the detective said, “I would say that Miss Berry was a witness. She texted his name right before she died.”
Robbins rebutted: “That doesn’t mean he was the shooter.”
The judge presiding over the hearing ended up ruling that there was enough probable cause for a grand jury to consider indicting McGregor.
McGregor remains in jail without bond.
