Photo: AMBER ALERT - Kamille “cupcake” McKinney/Facebook
The family of one of the two people accused ofkilling Alabama toddler Kamille “Cupcake” McKinneyhas issued a statement to local media, expressing their shock and dismay over the allegations.
The statement was issued on Thursday — the same day both Patrick Stallworth, 39, and his girlfriend, Derick Brown, 29, were formally charged with capital murder.
PEOPLE learns Birmingham investigators presented their evidence to prosecutors Thursday, and warrants for both suspects were issued for charges of capital murder of a child under the age of 14.
If convicted, the two suspects could be sentenced to death. They are both being held without bond.
Male Suspect Accused of Child Porn
Stallworth was charged weeks agowith four counts of possession of obscene material of persons under 17 years of age and three counts of possession with intent to disseminate obscene material after allegedly discovering illicit imagery on his phone.
Smith said both suspects were first detained on Oct. 13— the day after Kamille vanished from an outdoor birthday party that was held in the common area of an apartment complex.
Kamille McKinney.AMBER ALERT - Kamille “cupcake” McKinney/Facebook
Brown has been in jail, without bond, since Oct. 13, after her probation was revoked following a 2018 case in which she was accused of abducting her three children from state custody.
In that case, Brown allegedly led cops on a chase on July 13, 2018, before crashing into an innocent motorist and then, a sheriff’s SUV. Her three children were in the vehicle during the pursuit and at the time of the crash, but were not injured.
Brown was charged at that time with three counts of kidnapping, second-degree assault, attempting to elude and four counts of reckless endangerment,according to AL.com. She is set to go on trial in that case on Nov. 18.
Neither suspect has a connection to Kamilleor her family, police have confirmed.
Investigators believe the pair had thought about committing such a crime, and allegedly seized the opportunity to abduct Kamille when they saw an opportunity.
It is unclear at this time what the obscene images allegedly found on Stallworth’s phone depict, but police said they involved underage girls, none of whom was Kamille.
Patrick Stallworth and Derick Brown.Birmingham Police Dept.
The previous charges Stallworth had faced, police noted, are unrelated to 3-year-old Kamille’s disappearance and death.
It is unclear if either suspect has appeared in court to enter pleas to the charges against them.
Attorneys for them spoke to AL.com about the allegations in Kamille’s death.
“He’s just taken aback that he’s considered as a suspect in the disappearance of this lovely child,” Stallworth’s attorney Emory Anthony told the paper.
• Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage?Click hereto get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter.
Police believe there may be additional suspects, and ask that those with any information regarding Kamille’s abduction and death call the Birmingham Police tip line at (205) 297-8413 or Crime Stoppers at (205) 254-7777.
source: people.com
