Brandon Cortez Pope is a Birmingham, Alabama man charged with capital murder in the February 2024 kidnapping and killing of 20-year-old Mahogany Jackson. He is one of eight defendants in the case, and prosecutors are seeking the death penalty against all of them. Pope remains held without bond at the Jefferson County Jail awaiting trial.1Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office. Inmate Detail – Brandon Cortez Pope
The Charges Against Pope
Pope, who was 24 at the time of his arrest in late February 2024, was initially charged with two capital counts: capital murder during first-degree kidnapping and capital murder during first-degree sodomy. He was held without bond from the start.2City of Birmingham. Seven Arrests Made in Mahogany Jackson Homicide Investigation
At a preliminary hearing on March 13, 2024, the sodomy-based capital charge against Pope was dismissed, leaving the capital murder charge based on first-degree kidnapping.3ABC News. Mahogany Jackson Texted She Was Kidnapped Before 8 Suspects Charged On September 13, 2024, a Jefferson County grand jury returned an indictment against Pope for capital murder with sodomy.4ABC 33/40. Mahogany Jackson Murder Investigation Indictments He pleaded not guilty.5AL.com. Death Penalty Sought for 8 Charged in Kidnapping, Torture, Killing of Mahogany Jackson
What Pope Told Police
In a police interview conducted within 24 to 48 hours of Jackson’s body being found, Pope said co-defendants brought Jackson to his home in Birmingham’s West End, where she was beaten and placed in the trunk of a car. Pope admitted driving that vehicle with Jackson inside. He said he was later told to pull over so the car could be cleaned, and then heard a single gunshot.6WBRC. Court Denies Motions to Suppress Statements in Mahogany Jackson Murder Case
Pope identified co-defendants Francis “Ace” Harris and Jeremiah “Kodak” McDowell as being present. Both Pope and McDowell told police that Harris walked up behind Jackson and shot her in the back of the head.5AL.com. Death Penalty Sought for 8 Charged in Kidnapping, Torture, Killing of Mahogany Jackson Pope referred to the area where the body was recovered as “Dead Man’s Road.”6WBRC. Court Denies Motions to Suppress Statements in Mahogany Jackson Murder Case According to later reporting, Jackson had been held at two locations during her captivity, including a home on McMillon Avenue that belonged to Pope.
Death Penalty and Denial of Bond
In December 2024, prosecutors announced they would seek the death penalty against all eight defendants, calling the crime “especially heinous, atrocious, or cruel.”5AL.com. Death Penalty Sought for 8 Charged in Kidnapping, Torture, Killing of Mahogany Jackson
On May 7, 2025, Pope appeared before Jefferson County Judge Kechia Davis for a pre-trial motion hearing. His defense team requested bond, arguing a lack of probable cause and that Pope was not involved in the physical assault on Jackson. Judge Davis denied the request, citing Alabama’s no-bond policy for capital murder charges. Prosecutors opposed bond by pointing to “inconsistent statements” Pope had made and his “presence in videos related to the crime.”7ABC 33/40. State Seeking Death Penalty for Seven Defendants in Killing of Mahogany Jackson
Where the Case Stands
On November 5, 2025, Judge Davis denied a motion from Pope’s attorneys to suppress his police interview. The defense had argued the statement should be excluded because of problems with how investigators administered his Miranda rights. After reviewing more than four hours of recorded interviews, the judge ruled the statements admissible and directed both sides to work on the admissibility of the recordings and related video evidence for trial.6WBRC. Court Denies Motions to Suppress Statements in Mahogany Jackson Murder Case
At the May 2025 hearing, Judge Davis said she intended to bring at least one or two of the eight cases to trial before the end of 2025. Prosecutors indicated they planned to try Francis Harris first, followed by Teja Lewis and Si’Niya McCall.7ABC 33/40. State Seeking Death Penalty for Seven Defendants in Killing of Mahogany Jackson Pope is not among the first-tried defendants in that order. Additional motion hearings were expected to continue into 2026.6WBRC. Court Denies Motions to Suppress Statements in Mahogany Jackson Murder Case
As of 2026, Pope remains a pretrial inmate at the Jefferson County Jail, held without bond on the capital murder charge tied to Jackson’s kidnapping. His case has not yet gone to trial.1Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office. Inmate Detail – Brandon Cortez Pope