From The Tribune staff reports
BIRMINGHAM — The two suspects in the kidnapping of Kamille “Cupcake” McKinney have now been indicted on federal charges.
Patrick Devone Stallworth, 40, and Derick Irisha Brown, 29, were both charged with one count of kidnapping and one count of conspiracy to kidnap a minor victim.
McKinney’s body was found on Oct. 22, 2019, in a landfill in Birmingham. The child was reported missing from the Tom Brown Housing community on Oct. 12, where she was for a birthday party.
Birmingham Police Chief Patrick Smith said he believes the dumpster McKinney was found in came from somewhere near the Woodside Condominiums, in Center Point, where the two suspects were found after a tipster led them to the vehicle believed to be used in the abduction.
An autopsy found that the toddler was given methamphetamine and Trazodone, an anti-depressant and sedative sometimes used to treat insomnia, before she was killed and her body left in the dumpster. The autopsy found that she died by asphyxiation.
The two face capital murder charges in Jefferson County. Those cases have been bound over to a Grand Jury.
As for the federal charges, U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona said multiple agencies have been working on the case.
“This case is an excellent example of the seamless cooperation and coordination by federal agencies and our state and local partners,” Escalona said. “Federal law enforcement stands ready to assist whenever our help is needed.”
If proven that death resulted from the charges alleged in the indictments, Stallworth and Brown, would face a minimum sentence of life in prison, or death, according to Escalona.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Birmingham Police Department, and the United States Marshals Service all participated in this investigation. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Lloyd C. Peeples and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robin Mark and Blake Milner are prosecuting the cases.
An indictment contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.