In the early morning hours of May 24, 2007, in Birmingham, Alabama, a tragedy unfolded that would leave a family shattered and a community searching for answers. Mikylah Mays, a 3-month-old Black female, died that day from blunt force trauma to her head and body. Her identical twin sister, Jamyilah, was also found with severe injuries but miraculously survived the horrific ordeal.
The events of that morning remain shrouded in uncertainty, and despite the passage of time, the case of who was responsible for Mikylah's death is still unresolved.
According to reports from that time, the twins' father, Michael May Jr., awoke around 6:30 a.m. to find Mikylah unresponsive. He immediately alerted the children's mother, Joycelyn Smith. In a panic, the parents rushed both infants to UAB Hospital. Tragically, it was too late for Mikylah, and she was pronounced dead. Her sister, Jamyilah, was admitted and treated for her serious injuries.
In the immediate aftermath, both Michael May Jr. and Joycelyn Smith were questioned by the Birmingham police. However, no charges were filed against them, and they were subsequently released. The investigation into Mikylah's death continued, but years later, the case grew cold. In a 2013 appeal to the public for information, the case was featured in a "Cash for Crooks" segment, indicating that law enforcement was still seeking leads and that no suspects had been publicly identified or arrested in the years following the infant's death. There have been no further public updates on the status of the investigation.
