Shakeerah Turner

Shakeerah Bayinah Turner, a 46-year-old African-American woman remembered by loved ones as their "Pretty Petite Auntie," was a mother and grandmother living in Jacksonville, Florida. Her middle name, Bayinah, means "Clear Evidence," a phrase that would later become a rallying cry for her family in their long and arduous search for justice. Friends and family left messages after her death celebrating the difference she made in their lives and mourning the loss of their "Big Sis," a woman who is deeply missed.

According to her family, Shakeerah passed away on May 5, 2013. A week later, on the evening of Mother's Day, Sunday, May 12, 2013, her body was discovered under the Pearl Street Bridge near Third Street in the Springfield neighborhood of Jacksonville. From the outset, the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office homicide detectives who responded to the scene suspected foul play. An autopsy would later confirm their suspicions, determining that Shakeerah had been killed by ligature strangulation.

The investigation began immediately, with police canvassing the area for evidence and interviewing residents who might have witnessed something unusual. The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office took charge of the case, working to piece together the final days of Shakeerah's life. In the years that followed, however, the investigation stalled, and no arrests were ever announced. The case grew cold, leaving her family with unanswered questions and a profound sense of unresolved grief.

In July 2015, two years after the murder, Shakeerah's sister, Khadijah Noir, posted a video online to bring renewed attention to the case. In the emotional appeal, she identified a man named Jimmie Mosley as the person she believes is responsible for her sister's death. She stated that detectives told her they were certain he was involved but that he had not been charged in connection with the crime. Khadijah described the man as a suspected serial killer who was arrested for another murder in Philadelphia and said that her sister did not know him.

To honor her sister's memory and to push for a resolution, Khadijah announced her intention to create a documentary and an accompanying art collection titled "Bayinah (Clear Evidence)." The project was designed to celebrate Shakeerah's life, explore the details of her case, and raise funds to help the family travel and gather information they hoped would finally lead to the killer being charged. The family's public campaign for justice was a testament to their love for Shakeerah and their refusal to let her be forgotten.

A funeral service for Shakeerah was held on Saturday, May 18, 2013, at the Royal Tabernacle Baptist Church in Jacksonville, where friends and family gathered to mourn their loss. More than a decade later, her homicide remains officially unsolved. As of May 2024, no charges have been filed, and her case is one of many cold cases in Jacksonville awaiting a break. The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office continues to ask for the public's help. A reward of up to $3,000 is available through Crime Stoppers for information that leads to an arrest. Anyone with information is urged to contact the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office at 904-630-0500, email [email protected], or call First Coast Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-866-845-TIPS.