Ladiamonique Esta Zaire-Simmons, a 27-year-old mother of three, died on September 16, 2021, following a violent altercation inside a Fairfield, Alabama, home. The incident, which unfolded in the early morning hours, involved a family member and resulted in Simmons being shot.
Jefferson County Sheriff's deputies were dispatched to a residence on Osceola Drive shortly after 1:00 AM in response to the shooting.
Upon arrival, they found that Ladiamonique Simmons had sustained a gunshot wound. She was quickly transported to a local hospital by Birmingham Fire and Rescue but was pronounced deceased shortly after her arrival. The other individual involved in the dispute, who was related to Simmons, had left the scene but promptly contacted law enforcement to report the shooting. He informed them he would be waiting at a nearby convenience store, where deputies were able to make contact with him.
The investigation into the shooting was handled by the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office. The family member, identified as 45-year-old Cliven Milton, the cousin of Simmons's wife, cooperated with the investigation, as did other witnesses. Initially, Milton was not charged in the fatal shooting. However, five months later, in February 2022, a Jefferson County grand jury indicted him on a charge of intentional murder.
The case took a significant turn when Milton's attorney filed a motion to dismiss the murder charge under Alabama's 'Stand Your Ground' law. A hearing was held on August 1, 2023, during which both Milton and his wife testified. Milton claimed that he had been in a physical altercation with his wife earlier that night. He stated that he later awoke to find Simmons in his home, holding a baby in one arm and a gun in the other. According to Milton, Simmons made verbal threats and he feared she was calling someone to his home. He asserted that she either pointed the gun at him or fired a shot, prompting him to act in self-defense with his wife's gun. In March 2024, a circuit judge granted the motion to dismiss, ruling that Milton was in his own home, was not the initial aggressor, and had a reasonable fear of death or serious injury. Consequently, the murder charge against Cliven Milton was dismissed.
