Some incidents are devastating; they shake not just a family but also everyone who hears them. This is one of those stories. And in a shocking twist, after taking a life, the accused asked the court to take his.
An Alabama man convicted of capital murder in the killing of his child’s mother asked for the death penalty, but a jury sentenced him to life in prison without parole instead.
Arkeem Marshall is in the custody of the Jefferson County Jail with No Bond.
— Bhampolice (@BhamPolice) September 19, 2023
On Thursday, 33-year-old Arkeem Marshall was convicted in the September 2023 shooting of 28-year-old TiMira Pullom. The jury took just 15 minutes to find him guilty. But sentencing took hours longer, with Marshall refusing to let his lawyers defend him from execution, as per AL.com.
Despite his request, the jury handed down a life sentence. His attorneys did not argue for death either, nor would they plead against it. Defense attorney Paul McDaniel said the defendant’s refusal to mount a defense was “tantamount to suicide.”
In a last-minute effort, the defense requested a mental competency evaluation. But Jefferson County Circuit Judge Shanta Owens denied it and pointed to earlier assessments where Marshall was deemed competent. The judge instead had him speak with his brother, cousin, and best friend to confirm his state of mind. He insisted he didn’t want a defense.
“Mr. Marshall wants the death penalty,” McDaniel said, “and I’m not going to stand up there and say he wants the death penalty.”
The murder occurred inside Pullom’s small Birmingham home, where the couple’s 17-month-old son was also present. That fact contributed to the capital murder charge. The defense had hoped to downgrade the charge, but the jury upheld it, and cited the child’s proximity during the shooting.
During sentencing, the victim’s mother gave an emotional statement.
“There hasn’t been a day that has gone by that I haven’t cried,” she said. “But I know I can cry and cry and cry, and she won’t come back in this lifetime.”
Her words brought jurors and even Marshall to tears. When given a chance to speak, Marshall asked the jury to leave so he could apologize directly to the family.
“I took her daughter from her, and I took my son’s mama from him,” he said. “I want to say I’m sorry. She did not deserve it. She deserved to be here with her child. She deserved to spend her life with her son.”
The child, now 3, is being raised by his grandmother.
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The shooting occurred during an argument about Marshall moving out. He had already packed his bags and was waiting for a ride when things escalated again.
“She kept on yelling at me,” Marshall told police. “I just snapped. I pulled the gun and shot her.”
He fired six times, hitting Pullom four times.
Jefferson County Chief Deputy District Attorney Joe Roberts condemned Marshall, saying- “TiMira Pullom had never been anything but kind to the defendant. She had never done anything but try to help the defendant. And how did this defendant repay her? By putting four bullets into her body, killing her while their 17-month-old son, Trent, was nearby.”
Marshall will now have to live with guilt all his life behind the bars.
