Opinion ID: 1285745
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Valencia Jumper Murder

Text: In August 1993, Valencia Jumper was a senior at Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte, studying political science. She also worked at Food Lion on Central Avenue and at Hecht's in South Park Mall. On 9 August 1993, a friend of Jumper's, Zachery Douglas, spoke with Jumper on the phone about meeting later that night. Subsequently, Douglas arrived at Jumper's apartment in the early morning hours of 10 August 1993 and noticed smoke coming from her apartment. Douglas testified that he turned the door knob, and the door was unlocked, so he opened the door. Douglas stated that there was too much smoke for him to enter the apartment any further. Douglas then alerted a neighbor, who called the fire department. As firefighters arrived on the scene to fight the fire, firefighter Dennis Arney entered the kitchen and noticed that a burner on the stove had been left on. Based on examinations at the fire scene, the information provided by firefighters, and the observed pattern the fire traveled, the investigators believed the fire originated from a pot left burning on the stove. Firefighters found Jumper's body in the bedroom of her apartment. On 10 August 1993, Dr. Sullivan performed an autopsy on Jumper's body. Jumper's body was extensively charred. Dr. Sullivan was told that the fire was thought to have been accidentally caused by a pot of beans left burning on the stove. However, he found no soot in Jumper's airway, indicating there was no significant inhalation of smoke during the fire. After learning there was no carbon monoxide in Jumper's blood, Dr. Sullivan listed thermal burns as the cause of death. After defendant's confession, Dr. Sullivan reexamined the Jumper autopsy and amended the cause of Jumper's death. Dr. Sullivan testified that the cause of Jumper's death was strangulation. Defendant confessed to Jumper's murder. He indicated that Jumper was like a little sister to him and that they often spent time with one another. On the night in question, defendant stated that he stopped by Jumper's apartment and that they talked for a while and then defendant left. Defendant later returned to Jumper's apartment and asked her to call McKnight because they had gotten into a fight. When Jumper reached toward the phone, defendant put her in a choke hold. Defendant told Jumper to go to the bedroom. Jumper begged defendant not to hurt her and stated she would do anything he wanted. Jumper removed her clothes. Defendant and Jumper engaged in oral sex and sexual intercourse. Afterwards, while Jumper was putting her clothes back on, defendant put a towel around her neck and choked her until she passed out. Defendant stated that Jumper started bleeding from the nose, so he kept the pressure on the towel for about five minutes until he felt no pulse. Then defendant wiped his fingerprints from certain areas of the apartment. Defendant went into the kitchen and noticed a bottle of rum, so he took the bottle to the bedroom and poured the rum on Jumper's body, on the bed, and on the floor nearby. Defendant then went back into the kitchen, opened a can of beans, put the beans in a pot on the stove, and turned the stove on high. Defendant took the battery out of the smoke detector. Defendant went back into the bedroom, lit a match, and threw it on Jumper's rum-soaked body before leaving the apartment. Defendant returned to the apartment twenty minutes later. When he saw smoke rushing out the door, he left and went home. Defendant admitted taking jewelry from Jumper's body and pawning it in a local pawn shop.