In the summer of 2021, a promising life was tragically cut short on the streets of Fairfield, Alabama. Jon Paul Mathew Kimber, a 27-year-old male, became the victim of a fatal encounter on the evening of June 16th. His body was discovered by a passerby, lying in the roadway near the intersection of Gary Avenue and 49th Street shortly after 10:00 PM.
He had been shot multiple times in what investigators would soon describe as a carjacking gone wrong.
The events leading to Kimber's death began to unfold as a robbery attempt. It was determined that he was acquainted with his assailants. During the course of the robbery, a struggle ensued as Kimber bravely attempted to fight back and prevent the theft of his vehicle. It was during this desperate act of resistance that he was fatally wounded. The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office quickly launched an investigation into the homicide, piecing together evidence that would lead them to the individuals responsible for this senseless act of violence.
Within days of the shooting, authorities made their first arrest. On June 18, 2021, Jefferson County Sheriff's detectives took 18-year-old Joydan Ja'niece Blackwell into custody. She was identified as one of the primary suspects in the robbery and murder of Kimber. Blackwell faced a litany of serious charges, including Capital Murder, Theft of Property 1st Degree, Shooting into an Occupied Building, and Robbery 1st Degree. While bonds were set for the lesser charges, she was held without bond on the Capital Murder charge, a reflection of the gravity of the alleged crime.
The investigation continued to press forward, and a warrant was issued for a second suspect. On June 22, 2021, law enforcement announced they were searching for 18-year-old Da'Marcus Gilliam in connection with Kimber's death. The following day, on June 23, 2021, Gilliam was apprehended and taken into custody. He was also charged with Capital Murder and held without bond. Authorities indicated that further arrests were possible as they continued to delve into the circumstances surrounding the tragic and untimely end of Jon Paul Mathew Kimber's life.
