Anjail Muhammad

Case record: Anjail Muhammad

Background

Anjail Muhammad was a 27-year-old woman at the time of sentencing. She was later described as 23 years old in relation to a pending death-penalty pursuit.

Nodiana Antoine was 18 years old at the time of her death. Muhammad and Antoine were physically fighting at a Chevron gas station in Cobb County, Georgia.

Antoine’s mother, Tracye Currie, sobbed behind the judge after the sentence was pronounced. Currie asked the district attorney not to seek the death penalty and was happy with the outcome.

The offence

Muhammad and Antoine were physically fighting at a Chevron gas station in Cobb County, Georgia on May 25, 2003. Pamela Robinson saw the two women fighting and went inside the gas station to tell the attendant to call the police.

Muhammad, who was dragging Antoine around by her shirt collar, removed one of the nozzles from a gas pump and sprayed Antoine with gasoline. Muhammad then approached Robinson and calmly asked her if she had a lighter. Robinson said she did not, and Muhammad then dragged Antoine to Muhammad’s car, which was parked across the street. Muhammad retrieved a lighter from her car and clicked it five to ten times before Antoine burst into flames and ran into the street.

Bystanders yelled at Antoine to get on the ground and roll to extinguish the flames, and tried to help her put out the flames.

While en route to the hospital, Antoine told a paramedic treating her that Muhammad had “sprayed gas on her and lit her on fire.”

Antoine remained in the hospital for approximately a month and a half before she died due to her burns.

Antoine suffered burns over 70 percent of her body and died days after being found.

Investigation

A video was shown at sentencing of police investigating the discovery of the badly-burned woman when Muhammad drove right by them.

By the time police caught up with her, the car was about to burn up.

Antoine stated “[Muhammad] threw gasoline on me and set me on fire” to personnel who arrived on the scene shortly after the flames surrounding her were put out. At that time, William Bell, an engineer with the Cobb County Fire Department, arrived on the scene. Another fire engineer, Sergeant Jeff Burris, also arrived on the scene. Antoine told Sergeant Jeff Burris that Muhammad had burned her.

Arrest

Muhammad was being held in the Cobb County jail.

An arrest warrant said Muhammad maliciously caused bodily harm by seriously disfiguring Antoine’s feet, arms and torso by pouring gasoline on her and lighting her on fire Sunday morning.

Trial

Following a bench trial, Muhammad was found guilty of malice murder, two counts of felony murder, aggravated assault, aggravated battery, and arson in the first degree in connection with the death of Nodiana Antoine.

Muhammad was convicted on all counts after an April 8–May 1, 2008 bench trial.

Sentencing

On May 6, 2008, Muhammad was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole for the malice murder and thirteen years concurrent for arson in the first degree.

The trial court merged the aggravated assault and aggravated battery counts into the malice murder count for sentencing purposes, and the felony murder convictions were vacated by operation of law.

Judge Steven Shuster cited the torturous death as one of the reasons he chose to sentence her to life without parole.

Muhammad left for prison with an apology to her mother: “I’m sorry Momma. I’m so sorry,” she said.

Assistant District Attorney Reuben Green told Channel 2 after hearing an ‘I love you’ exchange between Muhammad and her mother: “... At least she had the opportunity to say something to her daughter versus the victim's mother didn't have that opportunity. So, it did tug at my heart but nevertheless I think this was justice."

Appeals

Muhammad filed a motion for new trial on May 7, 2008, which she amended on May 20, 2008.

On March 6, 2009, the motion was denied.

Muhammad’s timely appeal was docketed in this Court on July 24, 2009, and submitted for decision on the briefs.

The Georgia Supreme Court case was MUHAMMAD v. THE STATE, Supreme Court of Georgia No. S09A1852, with decision dated February 01, 2010. The Supreme Court affirmed judgment, finding no error, and stated that the evidence was sufficient to sustain Muhammad’s convictions.

Outcome

Judgment was affirmed.

Aftermath

Antoine’s mother Tracye Currie was described as having awaited the outcome for nearly five years.

Currie stated: “I’m blessed. I'm blessed it's over I can go home and really put my daughter down to rest and just get over this,”

Muhammad had been awaiting her day in court for nearly five years.

The Cobb County District Attorney’s Office announced that it would seek the death penalty for Muhammad in relation to the burning death of Antoine.

Cobb County District Attorney Pat Head said he was seeking the death penalty because of the cruel nature of the crime and because of the danger setting someone on fire in a gas station parking lot posed to others.

Muhammad was indicted for malice murder, two counts of felony murder (with aggravated assault and aggravated battery as the underlying offenses), aggravated assault, aggravated battery, and arson in the first degree on May 21, 2004.

Muhammad sprayed about 63 cents worth of gasoline onto Antoine before returning to the car to get a lighter.

Police said an argument between the two women, who had been living together in a white Pontiac Grand Prix, led to the incident. They did not elaborate on the nature of the argument or the relationship between Muhammad and Antoine.

A statement said the state had record of only one woman being executed in Georgia. It also referenced that in 1945 Lena Baker, described as a 44-year-old mother of three, was executed in the electric chair after being convicted of murdering Ernest Knight in southwest Georgia, and that controversy had persisted because Baker claimed Knight, described as a white man, was abusing her and locking her in a gristmill after she tried to end a sexual relationship between them.

Scheree Lipscomb, a spokeswoman for the Department of Corrections, said “Currently, only one female inmate is on death row in Georgia.” It also said “The state has record of only one woman being executed in Georgia.”

The material also mentioned that Kelly Renee Gissendaner, 36, was convicted in Gwinnett County in November 1998 for conspiring with her boyfriend in the stabbing death of her husband, Doug Gissendaner.