‘Evil Mom’ Has Daughter’s Father Executed On Her Birthday

Added: 2026-05-18

[00:00:00]Teresa? Oh, yes. Hi, I'm Investigator Keel. I'm hanging out with Investigator Valdivia today. All right.

[00:00:08]I appreciate you coming out.

[00:00:10]>> Yeah, that's no problem.

[00:00:12]I know y'all don't want to work on the weekend, that's all good.

[00:00:16]So she So when she you said the best way to do it is a quiet way.

[00:00:21]Yeah. Was that before or after she's telling you about the back door?

[00:00:25]No, before.

[00:00:27]Because I had told her, you know, the best way to do it would be a quiet way.

[00:00:34]I heard him, you know, like if you put a potato on the barrel of a gun, like keep it quiet or Um she was asking me about a pillow, like if a pillow works for a silencer, and I told her You have to tell me the truth. I know that you told me a lie earlier, but you knew you told it to me, and it took you a little bit, but you admitted to telling me the lie. Yes, sir. Okay.

[00:00:57]>> [music] >> You need to find it in your heart to do the same thing because you're about to go down a path you don't want to go down.

[00:01:02]>> I didn't tell him to kill anyone. I didn't tell anyone to kill anyone.

[00:01:05]>> Okay, what did you tell him to do?

[00:01:07]>> done that. What did you tell him to do?

[00:01:09]I I just Be careful cuz I'm telling you we know more than you think, and I'm giving you this one chance to tell me the truth.

[00:01:18]I >> [music] [music] [music] >> Tuesday, November 19th, 2019, had been filled with joy for 35-year-old Edgar Jennings III.

[00:02:00]A professional gamer, there was one thing he loved even more than Madden Football, his young daughter.

[00:02:07]On this day, they were together celebrating her fourth birthday.

[00:02:11]my whole life spending my birthday on Daddy.

[00:02:15]Your best birthday party in all 4 years?

[00:02:19]Yeah?

[00:02:21]Thank you, Daddy.

[00:02:22]>> You're welcome, baby. I love you very much. I love you, too.

[00:02:30]Sadly, by the end of the night, that precious family moment would become the last time she would ever see her father alive.

[00:02:37]One person dead after an apparent home invasion in Fort Walton Beach. A 911 call sent Okaloosa deputies to a cul-de-sac Avenue about midnight. Caller said someone was trying to get into a home and that they heard gunshots.

[00:02:49]Deputies found a man's body. They're still collecting evidence and have not released any other details.

[00:02:56]At 11:48 p.m., deputies responded to Edgar Jennings' apartment [music] after multiple 911 callers reported a possible break-in.

[00:03:04]Moments later, additional calls came in reporting gunfire along with a man yelling for help.

[00:03:11]When deputies arrived, they found Jennings outside his apartment suffering from an apparent gunshot wound to the head.

[00:03:18]He was pronounced dead at the scene.

[00:03:21]Witnesses described seeing a thin black male with dreadlocks and a red bandana covering his face running from the area.

[00:03:28]At that point, investigators had very little to go on.

[00:03:32]They needed to determine what had happened, who was responsible, and whether there was any ongoing danger.

[00:03:38]But as detectives began following the evidence, the motive behind the shooting would prove both unexpected and deeply troubling.

[00:03:53]Hey.

[00:03:54]Oh, we thought it was a back door.

[00:03:56]Carissa? Oh, yes. Hi, I'm investigator Keal.

[00:04:00]Detectives arrived on the scene and began piecing together what had happened. As is typical in homicide investigations, they started with the victim's inner circle.

[00:04:10]Carissa Lynn Parker, the mother of Jennings' 4-year-old daughter, was quickly identified as someone who could provide insight into his recent interactions, relationship dynamics, and potential motives.

[00:04:22]Because the circumstances suggested this may not have been a random act, investigators quickly sought consent to review Parker's phone, knowing recent communications often help establish timeline and context.

[00:04:35]Quick note before we continue. Portions of the interview video were heavily redacted by the releasing agency. As a result, you may notice occasional abrupt cuts or brief gaps in the conversation.

[00:04:47]All right, if you change your mind, you tell me. I call my partner right here.

[00:04:50]I'm just helping.

[00:04:51]>> [music] >> So. I mean.

[00:04:53]Do you want her to talk to the forensic guy first?

[00:04:54]>> some pictures in mind you don't want to see.

[00:04:56]>> Well, hey, that's not that's not Well, that's not what we're interested in.

[00:05:02]Carissa told detectives she was currently renting a room and was in between permanent housing. She was unemployed at the time, supporting herself through temporary jobs like babysitting. She was on public assistance and her driver's license was suspended. She said she hoped to return to school, complete her GED, and continue her education.

[00:05:21]After the rapport building, [music] the conversation turned to Edgar.

[00:05:25]Carissa explained that they met sometime around 2012 or 2013.

[00:05:30]She described the relationship as toxic, marked by frequent arguments. She added there had always been ongoing [music] tension between them, most recently involving issues related to their daughter and allegations she made that are not in the public record.

[00:05:48]Was there a certain point that your relationship with Edgar kind of I don't want to say went south, but I mean what might have caused all this tension between you? I mean, have you guys normally up until this point got along?

[00:06:03]He gets mad at me.

[00:06:05]He goes off on me.

[00:06:08]There's been plenty of instances where he's blatantly disrespectful to me.

[00:06:15]Stacy has told him to stop being so disrespectful to me before on multiple occasions.

[00:06:22]Stacy was mad at me. For what? Stacy's been mad at me because the last time we all got into an argument, which was the beginning of October when I came out here, she was she just said, "I don't understand why y'all hate each other so much. Y'all must still love each other because I've never seen two people argue so much." I said, "Stacy, do you really want to know why I hate him?"

[00:06:49]And it's because last year when they first moved into their apartment, when I when we came out there for Halloween, Edgar attempted to have sex with me while Stacy was in the bathtub.

[00:07:06]I never said anything to Stacy.

[00:07:08]And because I didn't say anything to Stacy, she says that that's being disloyal.

[00:07:16]And she was mad about that.

[00:07:18]That's the only thing that she's been mad at me for.

[00:07:23]Detectives asked Carissa how she first learned that Edgar had been killed. She explained that earlier that morning she had called his mother about an unrelated matter, and it was during that conversation that she was informed of his death.

[00:07:36]I called. I said, "Hi, Ms. Linda."

[00:07:42]She said, "No, I'm not going to be able to. I'm on my I'm on my way out the door. I'm going to the doctor. I have to go see the doctor.

[00:07:49]And I said, well, I hope everything is okay. And she said, you know my son is dead.

[00:07:55]And I said, what? Like I'm I'm confused. I hit the floor. I start crying.

[00:08:02]Start having a panic attack. I'm at Lacy's house with her two babies and I'm on the floor falling apart.

[00:08:10]Nobody called me.

[00:08:12]I didn't even know that it happened until I called her and she told me.

[00:08:17]I asked her what happened. She said she didn't know any details, just that somebody tried to break into the house and he got shot. Got you.

[00:08:25]So, what's what's going on right now with you? Like when we everything Edgar passing away, what what is your thoughts on everything going on?

[00:08:39]Um besides the fact that I'm devastated, besides the fact that I don't know how I'll ever be able to explain this I I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around this whole situation to be completely honest with you. Yeah.

[00:08:59]I mean, it's got to be a difficult situation. I mean, have you talked to any of his other Have you talked to Stacy today? No.

[00:09:06]I tried to call her after I talked to Edgar's mother. She wouldn't answer the phone.

[00:09:17]All right.

[00:09:18]Do you have any questions or anything about anything that's going on?

[00:09:22]No, I Okay. I do want I do I understand and I'm going to and we're going to walk out. Just can take a quick break real quick. I'm going to go to talk to my supervisor. See what's going on with that.

[00:09:35]The rest of the interview was relatively routine and Carissa was allowed to leave.

[00:09:40]As the investigation moved forward, detectives gathered witness statements and nearby surveillance footage.

[00:09:46]Witnesses reported seeing the suspected shooter get into the passenger side of a sedan parked on the east side of Carmel Drive shortly after the gunfire.

[00:09:55]Security footage helped investigators identify [music] the vehicle as a 2010 green Hyundai Sonata.

[00:10:01]As detectives reviewed phone data obtained from Carissa's device, they identified a connection between that vehicle and someone in her contacts.

[00:10:10]Based on that information, investigators asked Carissa to return for a second interview to clarify her whereabouts that night and better understand her connection to the individuals involved.

[00:10:23]>> [sighs] >> All right.

[00:10:25]Remember you let us download your phone.

[00:10:27]Yeah. Okay. Well, we've looked through that whole thing. That night that you downloaded it, we didn't have an opportunity to really get into anything.

[00:10:34]Okay. But we have looked through it.

[00:10:36]Okay. Okay.

[00:10:37]And there's just some there's some concerning stuff on here that um is kind of not consistent with your story.

[00:10:46]Okay. As far as what? Okay.

[00:10:50]So, first of all, who is Marilyn?

[00:10:55]Marilyn?

[00:10:56]>> Or Mary- Marilyn? Marilyn?

[00:10:58]>> Yeah.

[00:10:59]Um someone that I worked with uh at the Quality Inn. Okay.

[00:11:04]Um what's your relationship other than that? Do you have anything? You ever stay with her or Um I go to her house and hang out sometimes. I have spent the night once or twice, yeah.

[00:11:16]Okay. We worked together for 7 8 months.

[00:11:20]Right.

[00:11:21]And I'm and I'm going to tell you, I mean, there's some stuff in here that we're going to talk about that, you know, I've been completely honest to you this entire time, okay? This is a homicide investigation. Edgar's dead and we're trying to get to the bottom of some stuff. Okay?

[00:11:36]>> Um So, have you ever told Marilyn that you wanted to kill Edgar?

[00:11:42]I was upset.

[00:11:44]I did say that.

[00:11:47]I know I did. Okay.

[00:11:50]Did I really mean it? Absolutely not. I mean, that's why I gave you I Obviously, I knew all of that was in my phone. I knew it was going to come up. I knew you were going to ask me about it.

[00:12:01]Okay.

[00:12:02]But, no. I would never actually want him dead. I was very upset with him the way he has talked to me and just I let him get under my skin sometimes and I was upset.

[00:12:20]Okay. Do you remember the last time you spoke to Marilyn? Um I talked to her on Tuesday. On Tuesday? Yeah. Okay. Which was the 18th?

[00:12:29]No, that's the The 19th. 19th?

[00:12:31]>> Yeah. Okay.

[00:12:32]Do you remember talking to her or texting with her on the 18th?

[00:12:37]Um yeah, I think I talked to her on the 18th. I've been talking to a lot of people in the last couple of days over the weekend and stuff. Okay. So, yeah.

[00:12:45]More than likely, I did talk to her. So, did she So, did you Did she know that you were coming over to file a complaint with with Okaloosa to try to Um I went to Escambia County and filed the restraining order.

[00:13:02]I may have mentioned something to her about it, yeah. Okay. I I told a couple of people that I was trying to file a restraining order. So, I don't Right.

[00:13:12]remember exactly what I said to her, but yeah, I probably did. Okay.

[00:13:16]Um Do you remember her asking how did it go?

[00:13:21]Like asking you how everything went over there? Yeah. Okay.

[00:13:24]And do you remember saying um, "It didn't The police wouldn't help me."

[00:13:31]Oh, that was I believe that was probably Sunday night cuz that I did come out here Sunday evening.

[00:13:39]Mhm. That's what I meant. When you came out here and you called over at Walmart.

[00:13:42]Oh, okay. Yes, sir. Yeah.

[00:13:45]Okay, so you remember that?

[00:13:46]>> Yes, sir. Okay, and she And she said, "How did it go?" And you said, "It didn't. The police wouldn't help me."

[00:13:50]Yes.

[00:13:51]>> Okay.

[00:13:52]Do you know, uh, do you know what you sent to her next? I don't remember. I mean, I'm sure it was something to the effect of Edgar, you know, pissed me off.

[00:14:05]I'm going to hurt him or whatever. I don't really know exactly what I said.

[00:14:09]I'm sure it was something about what you said a few minutes ago, so. No, it was, um, "Time to call the goons."

[00:14:15]Oh, yeah.

[00:14:17]Yeah. Who's the goons?

[00:14:20]I don't have any goons. I Like I said, I was just talking. I was upset and I was angry. I was emotional.

[00:14:29]Absolutely. You're You're You're uh, kind of confrontational about it, right?

[00:14:37]Yeah, I don't I don't have any goons. I don't Okay. I smoke pot, but I don't hang around drug dealers or people who mess with guns. I don't hang around anybody like that. I mean, I don't So, tell me a little bit about what you did on the 19th.

[00:15:05]What What was going on with you on the 19th, which would have been Tuesday?

[00:15:10]Um, me and Lacy were together for a little while.

[00:15:15]I went to Lacy's house.

[00:15:17]We ate dinner.

[00:15:19]I went to my cousin's house to visit with my sister because my sister lives there for a little while. Cousin being Tyra? Yeah. Okay. It's her house, but my sister lives with her. Mhm. And I went over there to hang out for a little while. I was up to talk to my sister.

[00:15:37]So, I went over there and then I went back to Lacy's house after that.

[00:15:42]Okay.

[00:15:44]So, at 8:00 at 8:10, do you do you remember talking about wanting to get a whip?

[00:15:53]What's a whip? I I know what a whip is, but Yeah, Tyra's car. Okay. Yeah.

[00:15:59]Okay, what what were you trying to get the whip for?

[00:16:01]Uh what's the grocery store? To go to the grocery store? Yeah, I have my food stamp card. I was letting Tyra get some groceries in her house.

[00:16:11]She has two kids. She's waiting for her food stamps to get approved for right now.

[00:16:17]Mhm.

[00:16:17]>> So, I was going That's what we were doing.

[00:16:22]Okay. What store did you guys end up going to? Uh what's a Walmart? Walmart?

[00:16:26]Where at? Which I I'm not familiar with this area.

[00:16:28]>> On Mobile Highway. On Mobile? Mhm. Okay.

[00:16:32]Who is TG?

[00:16:34]Um just a friend of mine. Do you know his name?

[00:16:38]I only know him as TG. It's who I bought my pot from, if I'm being honest with you. It's who I bought my weed from.

[00:16:46]Okay.

[00:16:47]Um I wanted to go buy some weed.

[00:16:49]>> friends with him on Facebook? Yeah.

[00:16:51]Okay. What's his name?

[00:16:54]What's his Facebook name? TG.

[00:16:57]No, it's not Goon?

[00:17:00]No.

[00:17:01]No, it's TG Phillips on his Yeah. You want to show him? Yeah.

[00:17:23]>> Right here. Phillip Susie.

[00:17:25]Do you usually communicate with him through messenger or Snapchat or text? Um, if normally it's just text message. I don't I mean I might talk to him on Facebook sometimes, but normally it's text message. So you you you texted TG, okay, and told him I'm on my way to get the whip.

[00:17:43]Okay?

[00:17:44]Yeah. All right.

[00:17:46]>> I got the car, we went to the grocery store. We went to go get the That was at 8:10. That was after Kyra said you could use your car her car whenever you needed it or whenever you were ready. Yeah.

[00:17:55]Okay.

[00:17:56]At 8:38 Kyra texts and says or you text she texts you what time will you be back?

[00:18:07]You told Kyra, "Well, it takes an hour to get there and an hour to get back, so maybe by midnight."

[00:18:12]What takes What takes an hour? Where are you driving for two for an hour? Um Walmart Mhm. is about 15 minutes from her house since it's 10 minutes from her grandma's house, about 15 minutes or so.

[00:18:26]All right.

[00:18:27]>> And then she used to live >> there. I'm going to stop you right there. Okay. It's very important that you're extremely honest with me at this point because right now I know you're lying.

[00:18:36]Okay? And I'm giving you one opportunity and that's it.

[00:18:40]Okay. Now it's time to start talking about what takes an hour to get from Pensacola to to where?

[00:18:48]Miss Carissa, let's What No, answer me.

[00:18:52]What What takes an hour?

[00:18:54]How long does it take to get here?

[00:18:56]Um it took us an hour and a half. Okay.

[00:19:00]Okay.

[00:19:02]Um and then an hour to get back, so possibly by midnight.

[00:19:07]Um and you're talking about at 8:30.

[00:19:11]You're talking about that at 8:30. But I was back at Lacey's house way before that and Lacey can tell you that. I was probably back at Lacey's house by like 10:30.

[00:19:19]Okay. With the car?

[00:19:21]No, I left [snorts] My cousin dropped me off at Lacey's house. I took her car back to her house.

[00:19:28]You didn't let anybody else drive that car?

[00:19:30]No.

[00:19:31]Okay. You didn't let T.D. drive that car?

[00:19:33]No.

[00:19:36]Be very careful cuz I I've got answers that that I don't think you know I know.

[00:19:41]Okay?

[00:19:42]So, let's start over. Did you let T.J.

[00:19:45]drive that or T.G. drive that car?

[00:19:48]>> [snorts] >> No.

[00:19:52]Yes. Okay, I did.

[00:19:54]Okay. But I don't And where did he go? I don't know where he went. Okay. He told me he Listen, I don't know where he went.

[00:20:04]I don't Okay.

[00:20:07]Well, I'm going to bring one more thing up. So, on September 4th, you you texted uh T.G. T.G. and said, "I'm here. I need an eighth."

[00:20:23]Yep. Okay.

[00:20:24]9:04 at a minute later, he says, "All right." You don't talk to him again until November 18th.

[00:20:34]Right.

[00:20:36]That's very suspicious considering that on 11/18, you told Was it Marilyn?

[00:20:44]Yes.

[00:20:45]That you need the goon.

[00:20:47]You're going to call the goon. Time to call the goon.

[00:20:51]Okay?

[00:20:51]>> That's That's right. Okay.

[00:20:53]Here's Here's what Here's what the problem is.

[00:20:56]You tell him that I'm on my way to get the whip. And he says, "Bet."

[00:21:02]Okay? Right. And then you have telephone calls with him, obviously off of text messages.

[00:21:08]Okay?

[00:21:09]And And And listen, I'm not saying necessarily you told him to go over there and do what he did. I think you told him to go over there and possibly scare him.

[00:21:21]Um and he got confronted by Edgar with a knife and had to do what and probably just took a pistol over there. Maybe you sold him there or some weed over there.

[00:21:28]I need you to go over there and scare him. Whatever it is. I don't think you went over I don't think you told TJ to go over there and kill Edgar.

[00:21:35]But I do think you told you told him where he lived. Um you told him that he's probably got some weed. Stacy might have some powder in there.

[00:21:43]I think that you didn't realize that Edgar was probably going to come out of the house with a knife after he tried to force his way in there.

[00:21:52]And he didn't probably intend to go over there shoot anybody.

[00:21:56]But I think you were trying to send a message.

[00:21:58]No, I didn't. Cuz the system failed? I mean, you don't don't you think the system failed you? You were on your wits' end. You said the cops are not going to help the cops are not going to help me. It's time to call the goon. Oh my gosh, TJ's considered the goon on Facebook. On on >> not on Facebook. His name is TJ Phillips. Okay. Well, >> showed you that. Okay. Well, he's he's labeled in other databases as the goon as a nickname. Okay?

[00:22:24]>> Okay. Well, I did not know that. Well, that's another coincidence that just doesn't work out.

[00:22:30]Okay? But it's very You have to tell me the truth. I know that you told me a lie earlier, but you knew you told it to me.

[00:22:37]And it took you a little bit, but you admitted to telling me the lie. Yes, sir. Okay.

[00:22:42]You need to find it in your heart to do the same thing because you're about to go down a path you don't want to go down.

[00:22:46]>> tell him to kill anyone. I didn't tell anyone to kill anyone. Okay. What did you tell him to do?

[00:22:51]>> done that.

[00:22:51]>> What did you tell him to do?

[00:22:53]I I just Be careful cuz I I'm telling you we know more than you think and I'm giving you this one chance to tell me the truth.

[00:23:02]I only told him what was going on. Okay.

[00:23:08]I told him that he lived in Fort Walton.

[00:23:11]Okay. I didn't give him the physical address. I don't know how he found it out. Okay.

[00:23:17]I really don't.

[00:23:18]>> Okay. Did he tell you what he did or what happened?

[00:23:21]>> No, I really haven't talked to him at all since the night the night of the 19th and he was back so fast that I didn't think that he even went? No.

[00:23:36]By this point, detectives suspected Carissa had more information than she initially disclosed, but suspicion alone wasn't enough. They needed confirmation, not just circumstantial connections.

[00:23:49]About 2 weeks later, investigators got a major break. Working with a cooperating individual, detectives arranged a controlled phone call with Carissa.

[00:23:58]During the conversation, Carissa referred to the shooter as TG, a nickname for Jordan Phillips, and acknowledged driving him to Edgar's residence that night.

[00:24:08]According to investigators, Carissa described venting to TG about her ongoing issues with Edgar when the situation escalated.

[00:24:16]TG allegedly produced a firearm and told her to take him to the house. He was going to solve the problem then and there.

[00:24:24]For detectives, the call provided something they had been missing, direct evidence placing Carissa in the car and linking her to the events leading up to the shooting.

[00:24:34]After the controlled call, detectives decided to speak with her again.

[00:24:38]This time, the interview wasn't scheduled. They contacted her when they were already nearby and from the moment she saw them, she seemed to understand the situation had become much more serious.

[00:24:51]He didn't answer. How you doing? Sorry, I my phone is off. When I get a phone call, I can't make a phone call back.

[00:24:59]>> It's the only reason I haven't called you back yet. Okay.

[00:25:03]I try I tried to call the house phone.

[00:25:06]Oh, I don't really answer the house phone.

[00:25:10]>> I'm sorry.

[00:25:10]>> That's okay. Yeah, unless I make a call from the house phone or I know somebody's going to call me from the house phone, I don't really Can I go check on the baby real quick?

[00:25:22]Is that okay or I just laid them down. I just want to make sure the one-year-old didn't get up.

[00:25:28]And as And cuz they're in Terrence and Lacey's room. I don't want to It's The bedroom is like right there.

[00:25:35]I'm going to go right around that corner.

[00:25:37]I mean Carissa asks to step inside to check on a toddler, a request that can sometimes signal someone is gauging whether they're still free to move without directly asking if they're about to be arrested.

[00:25:53]Do you mind if we just step in and make sure? No, I I do mind. This is not my house. I can't give you permission to come in, but you can watch me walk to the bedroom.

[00:26:07]So, this is This isn't our jurisdiction, so that that's not our call.

[00:26:11]Um this is Terrence. So, if you could just wait for just a second.

[00:26:15]Did y'all already Huh?

[00:26:17]Yeah. Okay.

[00:26:22]Is Terrence on his way?

[00:26:24]He said he's about 30 minutes Okay. at least.

[00:26:29]What he say, 30 minutes? 30 So, Terrence is They're like doing stuff with work.

[00:26:34]Yeah, I know. He said somebody can get here, but it would just be or like 30 minutes.

[00:26:39]Cuz they're at the other end of Crestview.

[00:26:41]So, why I came over here was I have new information um that I want to talk to you about, but I don't want to have to do it with kids running around and all that. So, I know it's a pain in the butt, but if you're willing with us, we can take you back down to my office. I mean, I can get a I can have somebody be here within 30 minutes to give me a ride out there.

[00:27:05]I know that y'all said y'all would bring me way out here before, but I don't like being stuck without a ride if I I just Okay.

[00:27:12]>> So.

[00:27:13]Um I don't see why that's an issue. Every other time it haven't been an issue.

[00:27:21]I've been asked multiple times if I could get a ride. Yeah, yeah.

[00:27:24]>> So. Okay. Well, let me call um Lacy tried to call me when I was walking up here, so let me call Lacy right back.

[00:27:29]Just hold tight at the door for me with Okay.

[00:27:32]Chris, okay?

[00:27:42]Here's the She coming? She's on her way. I mean, I can't drive it.

[00:27:46]I'm sorry. I'll stand it. Okay. You left your 911?

[00:27:50]Okay.

[00:27:54]Are the kids in the sleep?

[00:27:56]No, they're The baby is probably asleep.

[00:28:01]How far away is Lacy?

[00:28:02]I don't I don't know. Blue Angel Parkway.

[00:28:06]She's on her way here.

[00:28:09]Yeah, I They had to switch truck.

[00:28:24]Hey Robbie, do they have like a glass of water? Yeah, hey. Can we get her some water for her? Thank you.

[00:28:30]All right. While he's doing that um so like I said, we had a warrant for you for accessory stuff. I want I want to sit and talk to you, but I just have to read this to you real quick, okay?

[00:28:41]Um so, Chrissy, before I ask any questions, you must understand your rights. You have the the to remain silent. Anything you say can be used against you in court. You have the right to talk to a non-sworn officer. He's saying there was no We're not promising you things. We're not coercing you to talk to us. This is voluntary stuff. We want Like you said, um that's why I called you this morning, and it's not funny. I was concerned.

[00:29:03]Like, we got information that this, you know, Yeah, this guy's been looking for me.

[00:29:09]>> Yes.

[00:29:10]>> Pretty much ever since I came and talked to you about ation.

[00:29:14]He's been trying to reach me. That's why I didn't pay my phone bill because Lacy pays me every day, but I didn't pay my phone bill because if it's that important, I can still get a phone call, and I just missed your call this morning.

[00:29:28]So, I don't I don't know. And that's why I came to the house. Like, I called you, got in my car, and drove straight straight to Lacy's.

[00:29:37]>> Yeah, I understand.

[00:29:38]>> Um because I wanted Well, I know we've talked a couple of times, but Carissa, like, this this is it, okay?

[00:29:44]Like, we need to know because we can't we can't help you, and we can't we can't do anything without knowing what happened. So, I need you to tell me what happened.

[00:29:55]Basically, we were just supposed to hang out.

[00:30:01]That was the original plan.

[00:30:06]I got Cairo's car to hang out with him.

[00:30:10]And he is >> We were going to go hang out. We got in the car.

[00:30:15]When I Or when I got to his house, he got in the car. Okay, who is he? So, we're both on the same page. Okay. I And I don't know When I said goons in the text messages, that was literally just a figure of speech. As far as I know, his nickname is goo- I mean, TG or Trigger.

[00:30:33]That's all I know him by. I don't even know if Phillips is his first or last name when I showed you guys his Facebook page. I don't know. Okay.

[00:30:43]So, y'all were supposed to hang out. I was going to get some weed from him. We were going to hang out and smoke. When I got there, he got in the car. He was like, "Will you take me to go hit a lick?" I said, "Yes." So, I went we we got in the car and we rode.

[00:30:57]After we made the serve of the drugs that he was selling to whoever it was, cuz we were talking the whole time, he was like, he Sorry.

[00:31:13]>> Take your time.

[00:31:15]Okay. So, once we made the serve, he was like, "So, what's going obviously about what was going on. I've vented to quite a few people. I was I was very upset with Edgar.

[00:31:32]>> Sure.

[00:31:34]But not upset enough to where I actually wanted People say so many things when they're angry.

[00:31:44]So, when he was like, "What's going And I don't really know what to do. This was after I went and tried to file an injunction that Monday morning.

[00:32:04]I was just trying to find any way that I could He at that point, which Let me back up because when he was getting in the car, he was acting strange anyways.

[00:32:19]He was acting like like he was on something, but I've never known him to do drugs.

[00:32:26]I've only known him to smoke weed.

[00:32:28]Anytime I've ever done anything, it was only smoke weed with him. But he was just acting like his his was rushing almost. Mhm. I was like, "Yeah, man." I was like, you know, "He's pissing me off. I don't understand why he's doing this."

[00:32:45]At that moment in time, he pulled out a gun and waved it around. And he said, "Well, we can go handle this right now."

[00:32:53]And I was like, "No." I was like, "I don't really want" And he basically was like, "Take me over there." And made me drive the car.

[00:33:05]I The only reason I I mean, I probably could have called the police. I probably could have done, but I had a gun in my face. I've never had I've never even seen a gun really, you know what I mean?

[00:33:16]Not in that type of manner. I mean, like Lacy and Terrance own guns, but I've never had somebody like waving around a gun in my face before.

[00:33:29]>> [cough] [clears throat] >> So, we drove out there.

[00:33:35]Um I tried to take him to the wrong house.

[00:33:41]But, he he just he wasn't buying it really.

[00:33:46]I don't know. Was it I mean, was it threatening or was he just kind of acting hard and going, "I can handle this for you"?

[00:33:53]He was basically telling me, "You're going to show me where he's at, and I'm going to take care of this."

[00:34:02]I didn't think that he was crazy enough to do it. I really didn't.

[00:34:08]I We went out there.

[00:34:11]I told him which house it was. He had me wait for him. I wanted to drive off so bad. But, I was so scared to drive off.

[00:34:18]I didn't know what to do. On the way back, he said, "Because I I heard the shots."

[00:34:30]And he got back in the car. I don't even know where he came from because he came from behind where I was.

[00:34:38]I was just sitting kind of like at the end of the road. He came up from behind.

[00:34:42]He hopped in the car.

[00:34:46]I I was frozen. I He was like, "Go." And I just kind of And he pulled the gun back out or he still had it in his hand. I don't really know. And he he I heard it click and he said, "Go." So, I I went.

[00:35:02]And I I don't know. I just drove.

[00:35:11]Carissa claimed that after she vented about her ongoing issues with Edgar, T.G. acted on his own. She denied taking part in any planning or ever asking for Edgar to be harmed.

[00:35:23]Carissa was charged with accessory after the fact based on allegations she drove the suspected shooter to and from the scene and did not notify law enforcement afterward.

[00:35:33]The next day, Jennings' family filed a petition for custody of their daughter.

[00:35:39]Investigators had already identified the suspected shooter as Jordan Phillips.

[00:35:43]4 days later, U.S. Marshals located and arrested the 24-year-old in Pensacola.

[00:35:48][music] During questioning, Phillips initially denied involvement. He mentioned being fired from his job earlier that day, a detail investigators believed may have contributed to his state of mind.

[00:36:01]As the interview continued, Phillips admitted he was the shooter but claimed there was a reason for what he did, an explanation that conflicted with Carissa's version of events.

[00:36:14]There's one other person that's building with a cig with that's here and I don't think he has cigarettes.

[00:36:22]Um I'm almost done. I just have a couple more questions, okay?

[00:36:29]You said that she she said that she wanted Edgar, Carissa Arissa, wanted Edgar gone forever. When you think that was in October, and correct me if I'm wrong.

[00:36:46]It was in October, I really don't know.

[00:36:48]Okay.

[00:36:51]So, she So, when she you said the best way to do it is a quiet way.

[00:36:56]Yeah. Was that before or after she's telling you about the back door?

[00:37:00]I don't know.

[00:37:03]No, before.

[00:37:05]Because I had told her, you know, the best way to do it would be a quiet way.

[00:37:14]I really don't know. If you put a potato on a barrel, you know, like keep it quiet or Um she was asking me about a pillow, like it would do what to do with something like that. And I said I didn't know.

[00:37:29]You know, I would have heard about potatoes.

[00:37:33]Um She was like, "Well, I got $13, you know, we can go to Walmart and get potatoes or whatever."

[00:37:42]In January 2020, a grand jury indicted both defendants on first-degree premeditated murder.

[00:37:49]However, to no one's surprise, the case never reached trial. Instead, like most criminal cases in the US, it was resolved through plea deals.

[00:37:58]Carissa Parker pled guilty to second-degree murder with a firearm. In exchange, she received 53 years in prison with 25 years mandatory.

[00:38:08]Jordan Phillips pleaded guilty to second-degree murder with a firearm and possession [clears throat] of a firearm by a convicted felon.

[00:38:15]Despite being convicted on two counts, his sentence was 40 years, also carrying a 25-year mandatory minimum.

[00:38:23]If you go strictly by the sentencing outcomes, Jordan Phillips appears to receive the more favorable deal, even though he was the immediate shooter and a prior convicted felon.

[00:38:33]Why is this? Well, courts often consider the person who orchestrates or sets a crime in motion to be just as culpable, if not more so, than the person who carries it out.

[00:38:44]Perhaps that's what happened here.

[00:38:46]Yet, beyond the legal outcomes, what makes this case especially hard to swallow is how little it appears to have taken for things to spiral out of control. [music] What began as frustration over an alleged personal dispute suddenly escalated into extreme violence carried out by someone who had never even met the victim.

[00:39:06]A man is dead, a child has lost her father, and two people now face [music] decades behind bars.

[00:39:15]What are your thoughts on this case? Do you believe the sentencing is fair?

[00:39:20]As usual, feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section.