Joi Kimitra Brown, a 45-year-old female, was a beloved health and physical education teacher at Kecoughtan High School in Hampton, Virginia, where she had been an educator since 2019. Described as an ambitious and hardworking woman who also ventured into real estate, she was a valued member of her community, touching countless lives. Friends remembered her as a beautiful, loving, and caring person who would give you her last if she had it.
On the evening of Sunday, June 25, 2023,
concerned friends and family grew worried when they were unable to get in touch with Joi, which was described as being out of character for her. A neighbor, Jermar James, went to check on her and found the front door to her residence on Wendell Drive unlocked. Inside, he discovered a distressing scene. An adult male, later identified as Joi's longtime partner Calvin Lamont Jackson, was found with what appeared to be scratches and a head wound. When the neighbor inquired about Joi's whereabouts, Jackson's response was disconnected, and he seemed to be in a 'zombie state.' The neighbor then went upstairs and found Joi in the bedroom, having sustained a fatal gunshot wound. Emergency services were called, and upon arrival around 7:45 p.m., authorities pronounced Joi Brown dead at the scene. The incident was immediately suspected to be domestic in nature.
The investigation into Joi's death continued for several months. Then, on February 27, 2024, 46-year-old Calvin Lamont Jackson turned himself in to the Hampton Police. He was subsequently arrested and charged with second-degree murder, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and shooting into an occupied dwelling. Jackson and Brown had been in a relationship for 19 years and shared a daughter. It was reported that Brown had expressed a desire to end the relationship. Friends of Joi recalled an argument between the couple the night before her death.
In April 2025, Calvin Jackson's case went to trial. The jury deliberated but ultimately returned a mixed verdict. They found him guilty of shooting into an occupied dwelling, a felony that carries a maximum sentence of five years. However, the jury was deadlocked on the more serious charges of second-degree murder and a related firearm charge, as well as a lesser charge of manslaughter. The jury foreman indicated that inconsistencies in the evidence photos of the gunshot wounds sustained by both Brown and Jackson were a significant factor in their inability to reach a consensus on the murder and manslaughter charges. Following the verdict, the judge declared a mistrial for the deadlocked charges. The Commonwealth's Attorney's office promptly announced its intention to retry Calvin Jackson on the murder and firearm charges.
