HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – A Huntsville woman, Shaniqua Brown, was convicted of murder on Wednesday for the 2019 killing of 20-year-old Jasmine Moore. The jury deliberated for just over an hour before delivering a guilty verdict.
The case, which unfolded over a two-day trial, saw several surprising twists. During pretrial proceedings, Brown’s defense attorney sought to have evidence excluded based on the sexual relationship between Brown and former Huntsville Police Investigator Julian Johnson. Johnson had been the lead investigator on the case and had an ongoing sexual relationship with Brown both before and after Moore’s death. Despite this, the judge ruled that Johnson’s evidence could be used in the trial, and his relationship with Brown was not disclosed to the jury. Johnson has since retired from the police force.
Charmane Brown, Shaniqua’s sister, was a key witness for the state. However, she was arrested and placed in a holding cell when she arrived late for the trial, just before testifying. During her testimony, Charmane Brown appeared visibly distressed, claiming to have been threatened but unable to identify the person responsible. Charmane had been living with Moore at the time of the shooting.
According to witnesses, an argument between Brown and Moore’s mother on Facebook had escalated, leading to an in-person confrontation outside Moore and Charmane’s apartment. After the altercation was broken up, Moore, her boyfriend, Charmane, and Charmane’s boyfriend went back into the apartment. It was shortly afterward that Brown allegedly entered the apartment and shot Moore.
Brown testified in her own defense, stating that she did not enter the apartment at all. The defense also argued that Brown’s actions were in self-defense due to perceived danger and that it would have been impossible for her to have shot Moore without hitting her boyfriend, who was standing in front of Moore at the time of the shooting.
However, the state countered, asserting that the shooting was not an act of self-defense and that Brown intended to kill Moore. They concluded their argument by urging the jury to “find her guilty of murder.”
The jury ultimately agreed, and Shaniqua Brown was convicted of murder for the tragic death of Jasmine Moore.
