BIRMINGHAM, AL – A federal jury convicted Krystal Diane Pinkins, 37, of Memphis, Tennessee, for crimes committed in Talladega National Forest, including murder, robbery, and unlawful use of a firearm during a crime of violence. The conviction came after four days of testimony and was announced by U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and FBI Special Agent in Charge Carlton Peeples.
According to court records, on August 14, 2022, a couple from Florida were driving to Cheaha State Park in Clay County, Alabama. They were flagged down by Yasmine Marie Adel Hider, 21, under the guise of needing help to jump-start Pinkins’ broken-down car. The couple were then robbed, and the male was shot while attempting to defend himself and his girlfriend. Evidence showed that Pinkins aided in the crimes, provided the firearm, and watched from a nearby wooded area. Pinkins was found six hours later in a secluded campsite.
The maximum penalty for Pinkins’ crimes is life in prison for murder and unlawful use of a firearm during a crime of violence, and 15 years for robbery.
Yasmine Marie Adel Hider, who testified in the trial, is scheduled to plead guilty on October 4, 2023.