PHOENIX – New details have emerged in a murder case Police say 36-year-old Jurrell Davis and 18-year-old Jechri James-Gillett conspired in the murder of 16-year-old Zariah Dodd.
Dodd was found murdered in Marivue Park on the morning of July 5. She was almost six months pregnant.
“It hurts me that a man like that will take control of a vulnerable child like that,” said Richilyn Fox, Zariah’s kinship caregiver.
Now, almost a month later, loved ones say she is finally getting justice with the arrests of Davis and James-Gillett, who appeared in front of a judge late Friday night.
“There are allegations that you committed murder in the first degree, which is a class one felony,” the judge said during their first appearance.
Dig deeper:
Davis, who Phoenix Police say is the father of Dodd’s unborn daughter, is facing two counts of first-degree murder charges. Criminal defense attorney Ben Taylor says an unborn child often means a harsher penalty.
“I mean with an unborn child they could either charge the defendant with killing the baby that’s unborn and the mother. So basically each count could be one count for the mother and one count for the unborn child,” Taylor said.
What they’re saying:
Davis is also accused of sexual misconduct with a minor in this case. He previously pleaded guilty for impregnating a 14-year-old in 2008 when he was 19 and received probation. Taylor says Davis’ record is against him.
“When a person has prior convictions on their record, the prosecutor usually aggravates their sentence or even asks for the maximum amount. And here, the maximum amount is life in prison or even death,” Taylor said.
18-year-old Jechri James-Gillett faces two counts of premeditated first-degree murder charges for Zariah’s death. Taylor says having two suspects shows prosecutors there was more of a plan.
“First-degree murder means that something is premeditated, means this is thought out that there was a plan involved. It wasn’t just some last-minute thing. The defendants allegedly planned this out to kill the victim here,” Taylor said.
With all these factors considered, Taylor says the death penalty is not off the table.
“And because you have a minor, a pregnant minor, this is a very egregious act that was caused here. And so ultimately, the prosecutor can even go death penalty in the future if they decide to go to. They have time to think about that,” Taylor added.
What’s next:
Both men are being held on a $1 million dollar cash bond.
Many close to Zariah Dodd say the group home where she lived in Surprise is partially to blame for what happened to her.
Coming up at 9 p.m. MST:
During FOX 10 News tonight, Benjamin Taylor will break down whether the group home could face legal action.
Crime and Public SafetyPhoenixNews