Charge Upgraded to Capital Murder in Anders Drive Killing of Pregnant 23-Year-Old Chyna Hickman

Mobile police have made an arrest in the shooting death of a 23-year-old woman on Anders Drive, charging a 29-year-old Mobile woman with murder less than 24 hours after the killing. Kanedrea Davis was taken into custody on Saturday and initially charged with murder in the death of Chyna Hickman, according to the Mobile Police Department. That charge has since been upgraded to capital murder. Davis was also served with three outstanding warrants for harassment or harassing communications dating to March. Update: The charge against Kanedrea Davis has been upgraded from murder to capital murder.

Mobile County District Attorney Keith Blackwood said the upgrade reflects the allegation that Davis killed both Chyna Hickman and Hickman's unborn child. Hickman, 23, was pregnant. She leaves behind two young children.

A $15 Dispute

According to Hickman's brother, Jaylon Hickman, the shooting stemmed from a dispute over a $15 deposit that Davis wanted refunded for a lash appointment. "She was killed over $15," Jaylon Hickman said. Hickman ran a lash business and had advertised a $20 lash special on social media on the day she died, encouraging interested customers to send a direct message to book an appointment.

Her brother said she was especially busy that day and believes she was running behind on appointments. "It's absolutely ridiculous. Frankly, it's horrible that a dispute of any kind could lead to a murder, much less a murder of two people. And so, my heart goes out to the victim's family," Blackwood said. "This is tragic and should never have happened."

What a Capital Murder Charge Means

The upgrade is a significant escalation. In Alabama, a murder becomes a capital offense — punishable only by death or life without the possibility of parole — when the killing involves specified aggravating circumstances, among them the murder of two or more people in one course of conduct. Since 2006, Alabama's homicide statutes have defined a "person" to include an unborn child in utero at any stage of development, regardless of viability, which is why the killing of a pregnant woman and her unborn child can be charged as the murder of two people.

Blackwood said Davis, 29, faces one of two possible sentences if convicted: life without the possibility of parole, or the death penalty. He said his office has an internal process for determining which penalty it will pursue.

If the state seeks death and wins a conviction, the same jury decides the sentence in a separate penalty phase. Under current Alabama law, a death sentence requires the votes of at least 10 of the 12 jurors, and since 2017 a judge can no longer override a jury's sentencing verdict.

Davis remains presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

What Happened Friday Night

Officers were called to Anders Drive, just off Ziegler Boulevard in the northwestern part of the city, at approximately 8:15 p.m. Friday. When they arrived, they found Hickman with a gunshot wound. Her injuries were fatal. The investigation remains open and active.

The March Warrants

One detail in the arrest record stands out. Alongside the murder charge, Davis was served with three warrants from March for harassment or harassing communications — charges that, in Alabama, cover threatening or repeated unwanted contact by phone, text or electronic message. Police have not stated whether those warrants involve the same parties as Friday's shooting, and it would be premature for anyone to assume they do.

But the existence of outstanding harassment warrants at the time of a homicide arrest is the kind of detail investigators and prosecutors typically examine closely when reconstructing a timeline and establishing whether a conflict had been escalating. Under Alabama law, harassment and harassing communications are Class C misdemeanors, the lowest grade of criminal offense, punishable by up to three months in jail.

Where the Case Goes From Here

The case will proceed toward a preliminary hearing, at which prosecutors must show probable cause, before it can be presented to a Mobile County grand jury for indictment. Capital defendants in Alabama are ordinarily held without bond. If indicted, the case would be assigned to a circuit court judge in the 13th Judicial Circuit, which covers Mobile County. The District Attorney's office would then decide whether to seek the death penalty or life without parole.

Anyone With Information

The Mobile Police Department has asked that anyone with information about the shooting come forward. Tips can be submitted anonymously through Crime Stoppers, and callers may remain unidentified. This story will be updated as the investigation develops.

Update: Community Holds Vigil for Chyna Hickman

Loved ones gathered outside Chyna Hickman's mother's home near Airport Boulevard for a vigil in her honor, wearing pink — her favorite color — and bringing balloons, candles and flowers. Family described Hickman as soft-spoken but bold, with a strong personality and a big heart. "She was always strong-willed. She was smart, very smart," said her mother, Chastity Bell.

Hickman's brother, Jaylon Hickman, said the confrontation that led to her death began over a scheduling dispute: Hickman had a lash appointment at her home on Anders Drive the night she was killed, and a disagreement broke out between her and a client over rescheduling. "She was just enforcing rules. It wasn't about the $15," Jaylon said. "She was trying to push some things back, and I think the customer was just irate."

Hickman's family said she was a mother of two and pregnant with her third child, and that she had recently quit another job to focus on her lash business after learning she was pregnant. "They lost their mother. They lost a sister. My mom lost her grandchild. My sisters lost a niece," Bell said. "I miss my baby; I just want my baby."

Update: Davis Pleads Not Guilty to Capital Murder

Kanedrea Davis entered a plea of not guilty to the capital murder charge against her, according to court documents filed Tuesday, July 14. The plea was entered in the days following the district attorney's decision to upgrade the charge from murder to capital murder. Davis remains presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty, and the case continues to move through the Mobile County court system.