Child Killers in Jackson get their day in court

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Cliff's

McBride, the 18 year old that is facing the death penalty, admitted that he "offed" the child. He was the one that took the vehicle from the Kroger parking lot and drove off.

Security footage shows:

A bespectacled Byron McBride sat silently in his red jumpsuit while he heard the testimony. Mr. Weeks testified that one black male exited the car on the passenger's side. He went to the Camry, looked inside, returned to the Civic to get something, and then got into the Camry. Both cars proceeded to leave the parking lot.

However, he has made some contradicting statements:

He first claimed he wasn't at Kroger but then said he was in the Civic with Washington and Wakefield when he arrived at Kroger. He claimed his friends told him to steal the car and kill the child when he returned to the Civic (before stealing the Camry).

McBride saw the Camry and stole the car as corroborated in the video. He said he was going to take the car to Holmes County but discovered Kingston and "offed" him. That must have been the word used by McBride to describe the murder of Kingston because Mr. Weeks used the word "offed" throughout the hearings when referring to McBride's confession. McBride sent a pin drop to his compadres who came and got him. He told them he killed Kingston.

Now, Perp #2


Washington refused to talk and only said that he went to the Wendy's to sell some weed. He gave similar testimony in all three cases.

Perp #2's attorney is questioning the authority of the court, as well as trying to place doubt that he was even there.

The attorney questioned Madison County's jurisdiction in the initial appearance that was held for his client last month . However, Mr. Weeks admitted that Washington and Wakefield did not appear in the Kroger video as the video only showed a black male with short hair getting out of passenger door of the Civic. It did not show who was inside of the Civic.

Now, for Perp #3, whose family was able to hire a decent attorney, and the story seems to be the most believable.

The former Ridgeland High School Quarterback was represented by Tom Fortner and Valerie Moss. Wakefield said in his interview with investigator Rusty Clark that the trio went to the Wendy's on I-55N to sell a dime-bag of weed. Wakefield said McBride never told him and Washington that there was a kid in the Camry. He said McBride just got his stuff out of the car, got into the Camry, and left the Kroger parking lot. He said that McBride said the car belonged to his girlfriend and he was going to Holmes County. He said they were in the parking lot for only a few minutes when the Camry arrived.

Wakefield said that he and Washington left the I-55N Wendy's and went to the Wendy's on Hanging Moss and Northside Drive and completed the drug deal. Wakefield gave the name of the buyer to police. The buyer corroborated that part of Wakefield's story.

The defendant said that McBride called the duo to come get him in Gluckstadt. McBride told them he ran out of gas and sent a pin drop to his cellphone. It should be noted that Wakefield deleted all text message exchanges with McBride from that night.

He asked if the only evidence for charging his client with capital murder was the testimony of McBride. He said there might be basis for accessory before or after the fact but there was no other evidence. Weeks said that McBride had also said in one statement that Wakefield told him to just drop the kid off somewhere but that McBride said he was going to "off" the child.

However, Wakefield made no phone calls to secure the release of little Kingston nor try to notify police about the kidnapping. Mr. Fortner later told reporters that his client didn't think McBride would actually kill a child.