Prichard Mother In National Spotlight

Alabama Mobile She worked for almost seven years trying to find her son's killer.

by Steve Alexander

Published: Wed, January 14, 2009 - 10:15 pm CST Last Updated: Wed, January 14, 2009 - 10:36 pm CST

A Prichard woman was featured on national television Wednesday night telling a powerful story about how she worked for seven years to find her son's killer.
Melinda Holifield appeared on the program "Personal Justice" aired on the cable channel TLC.
It was the night of September 12th, 2000 when Holifield said she got a call from her 13 year old nephew.
The boy was with Melinda's son, Jett Holifield, at a gas station near Dr. Martin Luther King Avenue and Meaher Street when Jett was killed by a masked gunman on a bike.
Melinda rushed to the scene.
She said, "I took my sister by her hand. I said, 'I'm not going nowhere till I find my baby.' I think I walked about 50, or 75 feet and I fainted because I saw my son laying there."
Holifield said Prichard Police investigated the crime.
Months turned into years, but there was still no arrest.
Holifield said, "So, I just got tired, and I started praying and I asked the Lord, I said, 'Lord, please send me an angel.' "
Holifield said she then met a reporter with the Press-Register newspaper who wrote stories on the unsolved crime.
The state attorney general's office reopened the case in 2007 and, soon after, Tarrance Shavers was arrested.
Holifield said, "It'll never be the same, but I can cope with it better than I did eight years ago."
And, eight years later, Holifield's story is being shown on television across the country.
She said, "I hope this series, this movie, helps somebody else. I want to tell them that, no matter what, don't give up on your child."
This past August, Tarrence Shavers was sentenced to 3 years in prison and 17 years probation.
Holifield said she'll attend parole hearings to try to make sure Shavers doesn't become a free man.

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4thekids35 Says:

Sun, Jan 18, 2009 at 2:25 pm

yes, it is sad because instead of her finally having the peace of mind that he is locked up for life or on death row, she has to see his face every time he’s up for parole. it’s was the judges job to put him away for life not the victim’s mother to make sure he stays there.

rosepetal Says:

Thu, Jan 15, 2009 at 8:05 pm

this is so sad, my heart breaks for this mother. i can not believe that killer only got three years in prison and 17 years probation. what was that judge thinking?

Peace yall Says:

Thu, Jan 15, 2009 at 5:02 pm

Three years? I know of a person who got longer than that for a couple of bad checks! Shameful.

4thekids35 Says:

Wed, Jan 14, 2009 at 10:42 pm

i remember this story when it first came out…more of Prichard horrible police work…they dont care. it took lots of Media attention to make them do their job. finally the killer was caught and they gave him 3 yrs! he should be on death row not getting fed and playing basketball.