Tasmiyah Whitehead, one of two Georgia twins convicted over the stabbing death of their mother, has been released on parole after serving more than 16 years in custody.
Whitehead was released on 5 August from Pulaski State Prison after being sentenced to 30 years for the killing of Nikki Whitehead in Conyers in January 2010. Her twin sister, Jasmiyah, remains behind bars.
The Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles said Tasmiyah had been eligible for release since 2017 but had served a further nine years before being granted parole. Her supervision is due to continue until 19 May 2040.
Twin sisters took manslaughter plea deal
The sisters were 16 when their mother was found fatally injured at the family home. They were arrested four months later and initially charged with murder.
In 2014, both accepted plea agreements for voluntary manslaughter. Tasmiyah also received additional five-year terms for possessing a knife during a crime and making false statements to investigators.
Jasmiyah accepted the same deal but remains incarcerated. Georgia Department of Corrections records indicate that she is eligible for parole in March 2028.
Prosecutors said Nikki Whitehead was beaten and stabbed repeatedly during the attack. The twins later told investigators that an argument began after they woke late for school and their mother told them they had to live by her rules.
The sisters claimed their mother threatened them with a cooking pot, prompting them to tackle her. Tasmiyah said she picked up a knife after Nikki bit Jasmiyah in the chest.
Police said the attack continued after Nikki had been severely beaten. The twins allegedly dragged her to the bathroom, placed her in the bath and left for school before calling emergency services when they returned.
Investigators initially believed the girls had discovered their mother’s body after coming home. They were later linked to the killing after detectives recorded them discussing the lack of evidence and questioning why the murder weapon had not been found.
Family criticised the sentence
The twins had spent much of their childhood in the care of their great-grandmother, who said Nikki had been an intermittent presence in their lives. The girls were briefly returned to their mother’s custody shortly before the killing, despite protesting against the arrangement.
At the time of sentencing, Nikki’s mother, Lynda Whitehead, criticised the plea agreement and the prospect of parole.
“It is like she is not important, she is the victim, it is like no one is concerned with what happened to her,” she told WSB-TV.
The parole board said it had found a reasonable probability that Tasmiyah would remain at liberty without violating the law.
After her release, Tasmiyah posted a message on Facebook thanking those who had supported her, writing: “My past explains where I came from. It doesn’t determine where I’m going.”
