A Birmingham case involving two pregnant women ends in a life sentence after a jury rejects a self-defense claim.
BIRMINGHAM, AL – A Jefferson County jury has sentenced 24-year-old Aaniyah Nowden to life in prison without the possibility of parole after convicting her in the fatal shooting of 36-year-old Justina Wallace, a pregnant mother killed in front of her children. The sentence was handed down Friday following a retrial that concluded with a guilty verdict in the capital murder case.
Prosecutors had sought the death penalty in the case, which stemmed from a July 7, 2023 shooting at a home on the 3200 block of 17th Avenue North. Wallace, who was several months pregnant, was holding her toddler daughter while two of her sons stood nearby when she was shot.
Details of the shooting and competing claims
According to case details, Nowden, who was eight months pregnant at the time, approached Wallace with a gun and fired, striking her. Wallace was transported to a hospital, where she died the following day from her injuries.
Nowden’s defense argued she acted in self-defense, claiming Wallace was “aggressive” and “belligerent” during the encounter. Prosecutors disputed that account, asserting Wallace posed no threat when she was shot.
“This defendant shot and killed a pregnant woman who was carrying nothing but her baby Sky in her arms,” Deputy District Attorney Jason Wilson said, according to AL.com. “Justina had no weapon, no gun, she wasn’t attacking anybody.”
Trial history and sentencing outcome
The case reached a conclusion after an earlier trial this month ended in a mistrial due to an insufficient number of jurors following dismissals by both sides. The retrial proceeded, and jurors ultimately found Nowden guilty of capital murder.
The case also drew attention to the relationship between the two women. Reports indicate the father of Wallace’s toddler is also the father of Nowden’s child. Nowden gave birth while in custody following the shooting.
The Birmingham Police Department initially announced the charge in the summer of 2023. The conviction now closes a case that centered on a fatal confrontation witnessed by children and involving two expectant mothers.
