20-year-old convicted of capital murder in 2018 deadly shooting outside Birmingham store
A young Ensley man has been convicted of capital murder in the 2018 shooting death of another man at Birmingham apartment complex.
A Jefferson County jury on Thursday found Corey Lamont Beckwood guilty in the Nov. 17, 2018, slaying of 34-year-old Eric Jermaine Jackson. Beckwood was 16 years old when he was arrested in Jackson’s death.
“People need to realize there’s a penalty to pay when they grab a gun and kill someone,’’ said Jefferson County District Attorney Danny Carr.
West Precinct officers responded just before 1:30 a.m. that Saturday to the parking lot of The Hamilton Apartments in the 1900 block of Avenue O on a report of gunshot victim. Once on the scene, officers found Jackson in a back seat of a white SUV wounded and unresponsive. He was pronounced dead on the scene.
Investigators said the shooting happened at nearby Smart Food Mart in the 900 block of 20th Street Ensley. A woman then drove the victim to the apartment complex seeking help. The rear window of the SUV had been shot out.
Hours after the killing, Birmingham police released surveillance photos from the store, asking the public to help identify the suspect. He was taken into custody by the U.S. Marshals Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force four days later in east Birmingham.
A Birmingham man was shot to death Nov. 17, 2018, outside an Ensley store. He was then driven to an apartment complex where police responded and pronounced him dead. (Carol Robinson)
Birmingham police and Jefferson County sheriff’s deputies set up a perimeter around a home after receiving information the suspect was there. They knocked on the door and could hear a lot of moving inside but nobody would answer the door.
The homeowner gave lawmen permission for the marshals to enter the home. Ultimately, they found Beckwood hiding behind a stove in the kitchen. He had pulled out the stove, climbed in behind it and moved it almost back into place. He was taken into custody without further incident.
The charge against Beckwood was a capital crime because the victim was in a vehicle. A sentencing date wasn’t immediately available, but Beckwood is expected to receive a sentence of life without parole because the case did not meet the criteria for the death penalty.