A trial for two men accused of murdering a pregnant woman and her baby has begun in Toledo, Ohio, with prosecutors claiming the father of the woman’s baby was angry with her decision to keep the child.
Key Takeaways:
- Tameisha Price was allegedly murdered by her boyfriend and one other man on January 24, 2024.
- Price was eight months pregnant with a baby girl who also died.
- Her boyfriend and an accomplice are both charged with five counts of aggravated murder and four counts of murder.
- Price’s boyfriend’s other girlfriend, who was pregnant at the same time, has been charged with two counts of obstructing justice.
The Details:
The trial for Paris James (37) and Jerry Scott (28) began this week, with Tameisha Price’s sons Jayden Price and Leslie Richardson testifying that they heard multiple loud bangs before one of the boys witnessed a suspect fleeing out the back door of the home.
Jayden Price, just 16 at the time, saw the figure leaving, and went to check on his mother after locking the doors. Tragically, his 34-year-old mother was dead. Her younger son, Leslie (age 12), called 911 and told dispatchers he believed her boyfriend, James, was the suspect.
Dr. Thomas Blomquist, who performed the autopsy, said Price died of multiple gunshot wounds, while her preborn daughter (who was eight months gestation) died from “complications of maternal gunshot wounds.”
The chief of criminal prosecution for the Lucas County Prosecutor’s Office, Jennifer Liptack-Wilson, said James did not want Price to keep her baby and didn’t attend the baby shower, held just 10 days before her murder. The prosecution also stated that James doubted the baby’s paternity, though it was later shown that the little girl was his biological child.
The prosecution says James initially tried to hire someone to kill Price for $10,000, and when that fell through, he contacted Scott.
According to a report from the Toledo Blade:
Along with five counts each of aggravated murder and four counts of murder, representing alternative theories in the case, Mr. James and Mr. Scott also are charged with two counts of felonious assault and single counts of aggravated burglary and tampering with evidence.
All but the tampering counts have firearm specifications attached.
James’ other girlfriend at the time of the crime, 34-year-old Shatwiya Triplett, faces two counts of obstructing justice. Her pretrial hearing is set to take place on July 21. Triplett was six months pregnant at the time of Price’s murder.
The Backstory:
On a GoFundMe page started in early 2024, Price’s family said she had looked forward to welcoming her first daughter. The fundraising page states:
Tameisha was a loving, caring and giving daughter, sister, mother, and friend. Tameisha loved the Lord. She was an amazing soul whose love profoundly impacted the lives she came in contact with. Losing her leaves a huge empty space in the lives of those she left behind….
Thank you for your support and continued thoughts and prayers… Tameisha’s family will need them.
Price’s Facebook page is still active, and before her death, she regularly posted with excitement about her daughter, whom she had named Malaysia Leani Price.
She called Malaysia her “angel” and a “little blessing,” and posed for numerous maternity photos. She called her impending birth the “sweetest anticipation,” and wrote that she couldn’t wait to see what God had planned for her family.
My daughter will be born next month I’m filled with so much joy,” she said. “I can’t wait to meet my baby girl.”
The Bottom Line:
Homicide is one of the leading causes of death for pregnant women, over and above all pregnancy-related causes.
Editor’s Note: If you are a victim of domestic violence, please visit thehotline.org or call 1-800-799-SAFE.
