In the fading light of a February evening in Phenix City, Alabama, 13-year-old Connor James Mullins was with his brother and another friend. Their youthful activities, described by the district attorney as 'mischief and rummaging through stuff,' led them to a property on Windtree Drive. This land belonged to the family of 50-year-old Tywoana Jakes, whose home was situated across the street.
An ordinary evening took a tragic turn when Jakes emerged from her home and confronted the boys
with a gun. As two of the boys fled, Connor bent down. It was at this moment that Jakes fired a single shot, which struck the young boy in the neck. Connor James Mullins was pronounced dead at the scene on February 1, 2023. Authorities later confirmed that there was no indication that Connor was armed, nor was there any evidence that Jakes and the boys had known each other prior to this fatal encounter.
Following the shooting, Tywoana Jakes, also identified as Tywoana Anderson-Jakes, was arrested and charged with capital murder, a charge specifically applied because the victim was under the age of 14. The case drew significant attention, particularly concerning Jakes' bond status. After initially being granted a $100,000 bond and being released, a judge reconsidered the decision following a subsequent hearing. After hearing testimony from Connor's parents and a neighbor, the judge reversed the earlier ruling and ordered Jakes to be held without bond until her trial. This decision brought a measure of relief to Connor's grieving family. Authorities also revealed they were investigating a separate incident from 2022 where Jakes was accused of shooting at someone else on her property, although no charges had been filed in that case.
