A flurry of text messages in the moments before and after Raven Swain was gunned down in an alleged murder-for-hire by her boyfriend were shown Thursday to jurors.

Demarcus Chandler, 27, is on trial for capital murder in the 2020 shooting death of the 24-year-old Swain.

Police contend Chandler, who has a lengthy criminal history and is locked up in state prison on parole violations from previous crimes, hired 28-year-old Solomon Minatee III for $8,000 to kill Swain.

Chandler, they say, allegedly orchestrated the murder, because he believed she had “ripped him off” while he was in prison.

Chandler’s attorneys from the Jefferson County Public Defender’s Office claim Swain’s family never liked her dating Chandler and quickly named him to police as the likely person who would want Swain dead with no proof of his involvement.

The most chilling message shown to jurors was reportedly sent to Chandler from Minatee less than an hour after Swain was fatally shot. It read, “Bruh, we need the money. The work is done.”

The deadly shooting happened shortly after 7 p.m. on July 28, 2020, in Underwood Park on Birmingham’s Southside.

Swain, who worked at UAB Hospital, was found unresponsive in her Hyundai Sonata, which had rolled into foliage after she was shot.

She was slumped over in the driver’s seat leaning toward the passenger’s seat.

Her window was rolled down, and she had been shot under the left arm, with the bullets penetrating her heart and lung.

Swain was pronounced dead on the scene.

Chandler’s trial began earlier this week before Jefferson County Circuit Judge Michael Streety. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.

Deputy District Attorneys Charissa Henrichs and Isabella Colombo are prosecuting.

Chandler is represented by the Jefferson County Public Defender’s Office. His defense is led by Blair Shores.

Minatee has not yet gone to trial.

Prosecutors have said that Swain and Chandler had a tumultuous relationship.

At the time of her death, he was still awaiting trial on felony charges of domestic violence strangulation/suffocation in which Swain was the victim.

Swain had also in 2019 sought a protection from abuse order against Chandler, citing multiple examples of violence including pistol-whipping and shots fired at her car. That request was ultimately dismissed.

Swain’s mother, Lolita Braxton, testified earlier this week that shots had been fired outside her home as Chandler was leaving and, in another incident, shots had been fired into her home.

In some of the text messages shown in court, Swain and Chandler were telling each other they loved each other.

Others were more hostile, with one text from Chandler to Swain saying, “Ho, Ima try calling one more time and if you don’t pick up, oh well.”

Another said, “Bitch, call me now.”

When she later told him her phone was dead, he replied, “IDGAF. Call me when you get home. Need you to handle this biz.”

Prosecutors contend that Chandler sent Swain to Underwood Park under the guise that she was doing a dope deal for him.

There were multiple messages between them, with Swain asking where she was supposed to go. Ultimately, prosecutors say, she met Minatee at the Southside park.

In one of the many message threads shown to jurors, Chandler reportedly texted Minatee at 6:46 p.m. that Tuesday saying, “I’m on the phone with Raven.”

At 6:57 p.m., Chandler texted Minatee, “I’ll call you when she pulls up.”

Then, at 7:02 p.m., Chandler texted Minatee, “She out there.”

One of the final messages that night between the two suspects was the text from Minatee to Chandler at 7:47 p.m. asking for the money.

Prosecutors have also said that moments after the deadly shooting, Chandler reached out to Swain’s family and friends to tell them she had been shot.

Testimony Thursday showed Facebook calls from Chandler to Swain’s brother just minutes after the shooting.

Prosecutors in opening statements earlier this week said Chandler posted this to Facebook minutes after Swain was killed: “God forgive. Papa don’t.”

Chandler was also charged in 2024 with conspiracy to commit murder of an Alabama Department of Corrections lieutenant who, at the direction of Birmingham investigators in Swain’s murder, searched Chandler’s cell and found a contraband cell phone authorities said was used to arrange the hit.

His charge in that case has been forwarded to a grand jury for indictment consideration.

Testimony will resume on Friday.