The Brief
- Co-defendant Jechri James-Gillett is seeking to toss his indictment, claiming he was coerced into killing 16-year-old Zariah Dodd under threat of death.
- Prosecutors argue James-Gillett intentionally killed the pregnant teen to protect co-defendant Jurrell Davis, who allegedly fathered Dodd’s unborn child.
- It remains unknown if the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office will seek the death penalty; the deadline to file a notice of intent is March 13.
PHOENIX – There are new details in the murder of Zariah Dodd.
What we know:
The 16-year-old girl was pregnant while in the care of the Department of Child Safety (DCS) when she was shot and killed just hours after walking out of her group home. Now one of the suspects in her murder wants his indictment tossed and sent back to a new grand jury.
Co-defendants 19-year-old Jechri James-Gillett and 37-year-old Jurrell Davis are waiting to stand trial. Both men are charged with two counts of first-degree premeditated murder in the deaths of Zariah Dodd and her unborn child. The teen was shot in the head and left to die at Marivue Park on July 5, 2025.…