Danija Danee Mitchell, a 23-year-old woman, was found dead in her Birmingham, Alabama, home on December 23, 2021, in what authorities investigated as a murder-suicide. She was discovered alongside her 26-year-old boyfriend, Xavier Alexander, after neighbors contacted police to report that the door to their residence had been open all night and a baby could be heard crying inside.
Upon their arrival, officers found the couple's young son, Xavier Alexander Jr., unharmed but crying.
In the bedroom, they discovered the bodies of Mitchell and Alexander. Both had sustained fatal gunshot wounds. Investigators at the scene recovered a firearm. While the investigation into the exact circumstances of the deaths was ongoing, police stated that they were treating Mitchell's death as a homicide and had not ruled out the possibility of a murder-suicide perpetrated by Alexander.
At the time of her death, Mitchell's mother revealed that her daughter was five months pregnant. The family had relocated to Birmingham from Louisiana just a month prior after their home was damaged by Hurricane Ida. Alexander had secured a job transfer with an airport security company. Those who knew the couple described them as having a loving relationship, and there were no public indications of any turmoil.
Following the discovery, the couple's son was placed in the custody of the Alabama Department of Human Resources. Mitchell's mother expressed her grief and frustration in the days that followed, as she sought to gain custody of her grandson while mourning the sudden and tragic loss of her daughter. As of the immediate aftermath, no arrests were made as the primary theory pointed towards a murder-suicide, with no outstanding suspects.
