Christmas Eve murder: ‘A joyous night ended up being a nightmare’

Published 4:29 pm Thursday, May 2, 2024

An Alabama man has been convicted in the 2021 Christmas Eve murder of his ex-wife’s boyfriend, prosecutors said Thursday.

A Mobile County jury found Murice Sashington guilty of capital murder, the Mobile County District Attorney’s Office said in a written news release.

On Christmas Eve in 2021, Murice Sashington entered the home of his ex-wife, Shanda Avery and waited for her to come home. Upon arrival, Sashington shot and killed her boyfriend, Quincy Kemp and shot and injured Avery.

Sashington fled the scene and was at large for several months before he was later found in Nevada and extradited back to Mobile County.

“This case is an example of a planned attack in which the perpetrator was lying in wait for the victims as they returned home on the evening of Christmas Eve, 2021,” said Mobile County District Attorney Keith Blackwood. “They were ambushed and shot in a fit of rage and jealousy, leaving 40-year-old Quincy Kemp dead and Shanda Avery injured. What was supposed to be a joyous night ended up being a nightmare.”

Sentencing for Murice Sashington is set for June 11 in front of Judge Pipes where the mandatory sentence would be Life in Prison Without Parole for the Capital Murder conviction.

On the attempted murder conviction, Sashington faces 20-99 years or Life in Prison. The State was represented by Assistant District Attorneys Madison Davis and Michaelyn Gober.