Jacoy Nathan Mahorn, a 29-year-old African American male, was found dead on May 1, 2014, in a Fayetteville apartment. Mahorn and Shaniqua Shanae Simmons, an 18-year-old African American female, were both shot to death at Barrington Place Apartments, formerly known as Cambridge Arms Apartments. The bodies were discovered around 5 a.m. after a passerby noticed a broken glass door.
Mahorn's body was found near the back door, while Simmons' body was found in the kitchen.
Mahorn had been scheduled to appear in District Court for a hearing on murder charges the same morning his body was found. In December 2013, Mahorn was charged with two counts of first-degree murder stemming from a gun battle on November 1, 2013, outside Mickey's Bar & Grill, a strip club off Bragg Boulevard. Cornelius Tobias Jackson, a 26-year-old African American male, and Melissa Ya'Mile Neal, a 24-year-old African American female, were killed in the shoot-out. Although Mahorn, who had an extensive criminal record, was involved in the shootings, he did not fire a weapon, according to investigators.
Mahorn was initially held without bail in the Cumberland County Detention Center. However, on December 18, 2013, his bail was changed from secured to unsecured during a hearing in Cumberland County District Court. Mahorn was released from jail after posting $25,000 of a $2 million bail. The reason for his release was that he was cooperating with law enforcement. Cumberland County District Attorney Billy West stated that law enforcement, the homicide prosecutor, and the judge were all aware of the circumstances and reasons for Mahorn's release. However, West declined to elaborate on those reasons and circumstances, citing ethical concerns.
While Mahorn was in jail, police announced that they were looking for another suspect in the shootings, Shameil Donyel Smith, a 25-year-old African American male from Fayetteville. Smith was arrested in Florida and was awaiting extradition to Cumberland County. Fayetteville Police Chief Harold Medlock expressed frustration with his investigators for failing to inform him sooner that they had aided in the process that led to Mahorn's release from jail. Medlock stated that Simmons would still be alive had Mahorn remained behind bars. Investigators have not ruled out retaliation as a motive in the Mickey's case or other crimes in which Mahorn may have been involved.
The apartment complex where Mahorn and Simmons were found has been a well-known trouble spot in recent years. The City of Fayetteville, along with apartment management, had worked to increase security by installing surveillance cameras, gate access, and private security patrols. Despite these measures, the complex continued to experience frequent crime, including burglaries, armed robberies, assaults, domestic disputes, drug deals, and reports of gunfire. The double homicide of Mahorn and Simmons was the second such incident at the complex in 2014, following the shooting deaths of a 25-year-old man and a 40-year-old woman in January.
