BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (News Nation/WIAT) — A man and woman charged with kidnapping and murdering a 3-year-old Birmingham girl are now facing federal charges.
On Wednesday, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Alabama announced that Patrick Devone Stallworth, 40, and Derick Irisha Brown, 29, have been indicted by a federal grand jury on kidnapping and conspiracy to kidnap a minor victim.
On Oct. 12, 3-year-old Kamille “Cupcake” McKinney was taken during a party at the Tom Brown Village housing community in Birmingham. Ten days later, McKinney’s remains were found in a Jefferson County landfill, after her body was disposed of in a dumpster in Center Point.
Not long after McKinney first went missing, Stallworth and Brown were identified as suspects in the case and arrested. They are currently facing kidnapping and murder charges in Jefferson County.
“The kidnapping of a child is one of a parent’s biggest fears,” First Assistant U.S. Attorney Lloyd C. Peeples said. “Despite their best efforts, federal, state, and local law enforcement were not able to bring the 3-year-old victim home to her family. However, we hope that today’s charges will be a step towards bringing justice for her and her family.”
April Thomas, Kamille’s mother, spoke with News Nation affiliate WIAT in February about her daughter’s death.
“It’s rough,” Thomas said. “I have good days, I have bad days. But it’ll never be the same. I can’t wake up to her smiling at me or waking me up with her hugs or kisses. It’s rough.”
Cupcake’s disappearance in October sparked searches across the state. And the discovery of her body left many feeling defeated.
Prayer vigils were held and donations were made to help Cupcake’s family, including Thomas. This is something she says she will never forget.
But while actions are being taken to help the grieving family, Thomas wants actions to be made to help prevent this from happening to someone else.
“What are we going to do to prevent this from happening?” Thomas said. “While the gifts are nice, it still doesn’t [make] our community better. I would rather see more events towards trying to push things to be better. Enough is enough.”
