Nationwide — Tasmiyah Whitehead, one of the twin sisters convicted in the killing of their mother, Jarmecca “Nikki” Whitehead, has been released on parole after more than 16 years in prison. Her sister, Jasmiyah, remains in prison and is not eligible for parole until 2028. The sisters were 16 years old when they killed their mother in 2010, and both eventually pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and other charges.
Nikki was found dead and submerged in a bathtub at her home in Conyers, Georgia. At first, the twins told police they had discovered their mother and knew nothing about her death. Tasmiyah described seeing blood near the door and suggested that someone had dragged Nikki inside, making it appear as though an unknown attacker was responsible.
The story changed after investigators separated the sisters during questioning. Their accounts began to conflict, and authorities eventually said the teens confessed to killing their mother. Investigators determined that the killing followed an argument that began after the girls woke up late for school that morning. The case later became known for the brutality of Nikki’s death.
According to 11Alive, the twins eventually accepted plea deals instead of facing murder charges. Tasmiyah pleaded guilty in January 2014 to voluntary manslaughter, making false statements, and possessing a knife during the commission of a crime. Jasmiyah entered the same plea the following month. Both received 30-year prison sentences.
Tasmiyah spent more than 16 years in custody, including time she served while awaiting trial. The state parole board said she became eligible for parole in 2017 but remained imprisoned for roughly nine more years. The board ultimately determined there was a reasonable probability that she could remain free without violating the law. Her parole is scheduled to continue until May 19, 2040.
Jasmiyah is still serving her sentence at Metro Transitional Center, a minimum-security facility designed to help incarcerated people prepare for life outside prison. Georgia Department of Corrections records list March 2028 as her parole eligibility date, while her maximum release date is May 19, 2040. During the 2014 case, the twins’ grandmother, Lynda Whitehead, strongly objected to the possibility of parole. She said Nikki had been “stabbed 50 to 60 times and was brutally killed” and questioned how the sisters could receive sentences that allowed them a chance at freedom.