Patrick Stallworth and his girlfriend Derick Irisha Brown have been identified as the two suspects accused in the kidnapping and murder of a toddler in Birmingham, Alabama.
Kamille “Cupcake” McKinney was reported missing on October 12, 2019, prompting an Amber Alert. Local police and the FBI were involved in the search. Birmingham Police Chief Patrick Smith made the tragic announcement on October 22 that the remains of the 3-year-old girl had been discovered in a dumpster at a landfill. Police said that both Stallworth and Brown would face charges of capital murder and kidnapping.
An attorney for Brown has said that she denied any involvement with McKinney’s murder and that she was “horrified” by the case, according to AL.com. Stallworth’s attorney has said his client has an alibi for when McKinney went missing.
Police have not publicly speculated about a possible motive. Chief Smith commented that investigators believed the suspects “saw an opportunity to take a young child which they did. Our further investigation will reveal whatever actions were taken after that.”
Kamille “Cupcake” McKinney
Here’s what you need to know.
1. Police Monitored Trash Collections As They Searched For Kamille McKinney Following Her Disappearance From a Birthday Party
Kamille McKinney, whom family members referred to by the nickname “Cupcake,” was last seen alive at a birthday party on Saturday, October 12. The party took place at the Tom Brown Village, a public housing authority community in Birmingham.
The little girl was reported missing around 8:30 p.m. An Amber Alert went out as police began the search.
Birmingham Police Chief Patrick Smith began a news conference on October 22, “I wish I had all of you gathered here with good news. I wish I could share a high five with some other type of celebratory salutation but I cannot. It happens not to be that type of press conference.”
He explained that officers had been doing routine checks of collected trash from certain areas of the city. That day, investigators found the remains of a 3-year-old child in a dumpster that had been taken to a landfill. Officers believe the remains are those of Kamille McKinney. An autopsy will determine the cause of death.
2. Police: Patrick Stallworth’s Vehicle Was Linked to the Abduction Scene; Children Told Police That a Man Had Been Giving Out Candy at the Housing Complex
Patrick Stallworth and Derick Irisha Brown were questioned within a day of Kamille McKinney’s disappearance.
Birmingham Police said that Stallworth’s Toyota Sequoia was connected to the scene. The vehicle matched the description given by other children who had been in the area at the time Kamille McKinney went missing. Police said those child witnesses had also said that a man had been giving out candy at the Tom Brown housing community.
The police department released a surveillance video from the Tom Brown Village that purported to show a potential suspect in the background.
During the news conference on October 22, Chief Patrick Smith said that the abduction of “Cupcake” serves as a cruel lesson to other families nationwide. “It only takes a split second. We can no longer assume that everyone is a part of the village that’s trying to raise the child. We cannot take those things for granted. We must work incredibly hard to do more to save the children in this community… This young child has definitely sent a message across the nation that we must all be diligent to protect them all.”
3. Patrick Stallworth Was Initially Arrested On Child Pornography Charges
Patrick Stallworth
Patrick Stallworth was identified early on as a person of interest in the disappearance of Kamille McKinney but was initially arrested on charges separate from that case.
Birmingham Police said that officers found images of child pornography on Stallworth’s cell phone. The images did not include any pictures of McKinney.
Stallworth was charged on four counts of Possession of Child Pornography and three counts of Possession of Child Pornography with Intent to Distribute. Bond was set at $500,000. Stallworth posted bail and was released from custody on October 17.
But inmate records show that Stallworth was arrested again following the discovery of the child’s remains in the dumpster. He was booked back into jail around 2 a.m. on October 23.
Stallworth’s attorney, Emory Anthony, told WVTM-TV that Stallworth had been “outraged” to learn that he was suspected of kidnapping McKinney. He has denied any involvement.
4. Derick Irisha Brown Also Uses the Name Quentesa Jackson; She Lost Custody Of Her Three Daughters & Police Said She Abducted Them at Gunpoint In 2018
Derick Irisha Brown
Derick Irisha Brown is 29 years old and known to law enforcement in the Birmingham area. She also goes by the name Quentesa Jackson.
Brown is the mother of three young girls. In July of 2018, she lost custody of her daughters and the children were placed with a family member. AL.com explained that Brown went to the relative’s house the next day and took her daughters at gunpoint.
Officers found Brown and her daughters a few hours later in Fairfield, Alabama. She led police on a chase and ended up colliding with an SUV driven by a Jefferson County Sheriff’s deputy. Neither she nor the children were injured in the crash. Brown was arrested charged with kidnapping.
5. Birmingham Police Chief Says He Asked Kamille McKinney’s Family to Stay Out of the Spotlight
Kamille “Cupcake” McKinney
Birmingham Police Chief Patrick Smith explained to reporters on October 22 that the department had heard questions from the public about why Kamille McKinney’s family had not given interviews or publicly appealed to the community to help find their daughter.
Chief Smith said that he and other investigators had asked the family to avoid giving media interviews in order to allow them to complete the investigation without distractions. He explained, “This is not a movie. This is reality… We didn’t see a benefit of throwing the mother out in front of the camera when we had very strong leads. We knew exactly what we were doing. We knew the pieces of the puzzle that we were trying to put together.”
He added that investigators have not found any prior connections between the suspects and McKinney’s family.
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