Left: Desean Maddox (Mecklenburg County Jail). Right: Jameisha Wilkes (Crawford Funeral Home).
A 33-year-old man from North Carolina has been sentenced to several decades in prison for the murder of a pregnant woman outside her home, where she lived with her 7-year-old daughter, who is nonverbal and has autism, according to authorities.
Desean Maddox pleaded guilty on Thursday to charges of second-degree murder, murder of an unborn child, and robbery with a dangerous weapon in the death of Jameisha Wilkes. He accepted a prison sentence ranging from 25 to 31 years, as indicated by court records.
The Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department was called to investigate an assault involving a deadly weapon on November 13 at a residence on the 5400 block of Strive Street. Upon their arrival, officers discovered Wilkes outside with a gunshot wound and she was pronounced dead by paramedics.
During the investigation, a family member of Maddox identified him as the shooter. This family member informed detectives that Maddox had sent her a message earlier that day, confessing to being unfaithful and impregnating another woman, who was Wilkes.
According to local ABC affiliate WSOC, Wilkes was unaware that Maddox was married. He reportedly wanted Wilkes to have an abortion.
On the day of the deadly shooting, Maddox had come to Wilkes’ door and asked her to come outside before he shot her.
The criminal complaint stated, “Desean admitted to the family member that he shot [Wilkes] and took her cellphone from her, then destroyed it by running over it.”
Wilkes’ family told WSOC that she was a mother to a nonverbal daughter with autism who was inside the home at the time of the shooting.
The girl does not understand why “mommy went outside and never came back in,” Wilkes’ mother told WSOC.
According to her obituary, Wilkes was a “radiant soul whose love for life was evident in everything she did.”
The obituary expressed, “Jameisha found happiness in the simple yet meaningful things in life. She enjoyed working on puzzles, listening to all kinds of music, and being surrounded by bright, vibrant colors that matched her warm and lively spirit. Most importantly, she adored her daughter, Serenity, whom she cherished deeply and loved unconditionally. Jameisha’s love and devotion as a mother were unparalleled, and her daughter was the light of her life.”
