In the late winter of 2018, the life of 28-year-old Justin T. Nixon was tragically cut short in his hometown of Picayune, Mississippi. On the evening of Tuesday, February 27th, a heated physical altercation erupted between Justin and his cousin, Malcolm Nixon, at Malcolm's residence on Jarrell Street. Following the fight, Justin fled the scene on foot, but the conflict was far from over. In a devastating turn of events, Malcolm's mother, Mahala Burkett, allegedly handed her son a firearm. With the weapon in hand, Malcolm, accompanied by his girlfriend, Ashlyn Cheramie, pursued his cousin down the street.
The chase culminated in gunfire between the 200 and 300 blocks of Jarrell Street, where Malcolm shot Justin in the upper torso. Despite his severe injury, Justin managed to run a short distance to a yard at 203 Jarrell Street, where he collapsed and ultimately succumbed to his wound. His body was discovered the following afternoon, prompting an investigation by the Picayune Police Department. The community was shaken by the news, and concern grew among Justin's family and friends who had been circulating rumors of the shooting before his body was found.
The investigation swiftly pointed to family members as the primary suspects. Malcolm Nixon was soon arrested and charged with first-degree murder. His mother, Mahala Burkett, faced serious charges of her own, including accessory before the fact to murder and hindering prosecution. Malcolm's girlfriend, Ashlyn Cheramie, was also taken into custody for hindering prosecution. Initially, all three were implicated in the events leading to Justin's death. As the case progressed through the legal system, a plea agreement was reached.
In November 2019, Malcolm Nixon pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of second-degree murder. This plea resulted in a sentence of 30 years in state prison. As a condition of his guilty plea, the charges against his mother, Mahala Burkett, and his girlfriend, Ashlyn Cheramie, were dismissed. The resolution brought a close to the official legal proceedings, leaving a family fractured and a community to mourn the violent loss of a young man's life.
