A fifteen‑year‑old female of Black or African American descent, Precious Dawn Jinae Aijalon Yvette Alex‑Talamaivao—known by family and friends as Precious or “Nae Nae”—was killed in the early morning hours of April 1, 2014, in her home in Anchorage, Alaska. She was asleep in her bedroom around 3:15 a.m. when gunshots were fired into the room, striking the fifteen‑year‑old female and fatally wounding her as she lay in bed.
Another child in the home, also black or African American and aged under eighteen, sustained a nonfatal gunshot wound to the foot. The fifteen‑year‑old female was rushed to a local hospital but was pronounced dead shortly thereafter. The investigation revealed that the fifteen‑year‑old female's death was the result of a homicide, describing a heartbreaking and senseless act that shattered a young life.
Law enforcement traced the violent act to two suspects: Lammar Burney, aged 32 at the time, and Jamal Townsend, aged 28 then. Both black males were charged with first‑degree murder, second‑degree murder, first‑degree attempted murder, and second‑degree assault for their roles in the shooting. Additionally, a 21‑year‑old female named Karlie West was arrested and charged with second‑degree murder and second‑degree assault for her involvement in driving the vehicle used to commit the crime.
According to the sequence of events reconstructed during the investigation and later presented at trial, Townsend had previously engaged in a dispute with the fifteen‑year‑old female's father over a marijuana transaction—Townsend believed he had been shortchanged. In retaliation, Townsend and the fifteen‑year‑old female's father's family became embroiled in conflict that culminated in the deadly event. On the night of April 1, Burney's girlfriend, Karlie West, drove both Burney and Townsend to the Mountain View neighborhood. In the backseat, Townsend handed Burney what appeared to be a solid object approximating a firearm. They circled the block where the fifteen‑year‑old female lived multiple times before stopping near the residence. Burney exited the vehicle and fired multiple shots through the bedroom window at approximately 3:13 a.m., killing the fifteen‑year‑old female and injuring the other child. After the shooting, police quickly arrived on scene, stopped the vehicle, and recovered a. 40‑caliber pistol from beneath the front passenger seat—ballistic evidence later matched it to the scene.
At trial in October 2017, a jury found both Burney and Townsend guilty on charges that included first‑degree murder. Burney received a sentence of 67 years in prison, while Townsend was sentenced to 87 years. Karlie West eventually pleaded guilty to manslaughter in exchange for her testimony against Burney and Townsend.
However, in a significant development years later, the Alaska Court of Appeals issued a ruling in January 2025. The appellate court held that Burney and Townsend should not have been tried jointly, as their defenses were mutually exclusive and could have prejudiced the jury. The court partially overturned their first‑degree murder convictions, vacating those while affirming that, based on the strength of the state's evidence, their second‑degree murder convictions were likely sound. The case was remanded for a hearing to determine whether the lower court should grant new trials or impose convictions for second‑degree murder.
Thus, this is the story of a fifteen-year-old female, vibrant, full of promise, taken from her community in a single violent moment. Her death triggered a tragic chain of events: arrests of two men and one woman, a complex trial, convictions, and later a judicial reevaluation. The narrative of her life, her bright spirit, and the deep scars left on those who knew her remain etched in memory—a reminder of both the fragility of youth and the pursuit of justice in the face of tragedy.
