Suvechha Sarkar
The sudden death of Louis Anglish Bryant Sr. in the early morning of April 2021 shocked the community of Birmingham, Alabama, and left his family completely devastated. On the surface, what seemed to be an act of fatal shooting soon took a different turn when the investigation began unraveling new claims. It turned out his untimely demise also had questions of safety, fear, and self-preservation. A&E’s ‘Accused: Guilty or Innocent: Killer Mom or Abuse Survivor Part 1 and 2′ delves deeper into the tragic incident, aiming to understand the circumstances that led to that moment. It also features essential interviews with not only the district attorneys but also the accused.
Louis Bryant Was Shot in His Home in Birmingham, Alabama
Louis Anglish Bryant Sr. was born on October 12, 1976, and arrived as a ray of sunshine in the lives of his parents. He was a person who was quite caring towards his loved ones and charming in nature. In 1989, he met Jasmine Mari Drake when she was 18 years old. The duo quickly got closer to one another, marking the beginning of their relationship. It progressed quite smoothly, and they ended up moving in together. Over the next 11 years, Louis and Jasmine welcomed their three children into this world with immense joy. However, the former began getting into occasional trouble since he was allegedly struggling with drug problems. Despite that, the couple lived together in their residence in the 1500 block of Vanderbilt Road in Birmingham, Alabama, for about 11 years.
Louis and Jasmine were about to tie the knot just two weeks later, before everything changed on April 1, 2021. Around 4:30 am that day, Jasmine called 911, seeking help because Louis had been shot. She further claimed on the call that they were playing with a gun when it suddenly went off. The responder asked her to apply pressure to his wound as a life-saving measure. When the officials arrived on the scene, they found Louis unresponsive on the floor, with Jasmine applying pressure to his wound. When they asked her about the gun that shot him, she reportedly pointed them toward it. The couple’s children, all aged under 14, were still present in the home when the incident happened. Paramedics arrived and tried to save Louis’ life, but ultimately, he passed away. The autopsy result revealed his cause of death to be from a gunshot wound at close range.
Jasmine Drake Told the Police That She Shot Louis Bryant in Self Defense
Officials first questioned Jasmine about the incident when they arrived at the scene. She initially claimed that she and Louis were playing with a gun when it accidentally went off. However, when Jasmine was brought in for questioning, she claimed that she was sleeping in the bedroom that night when the latter came in and began accusing her of cheating on him. She alleged, although she denied it, that he began hitting her, and they ended up in the dining room. Jasmine added that he started choking her with one hand and grabbed a gun from his waistband with the other before holding it to her head. She claimed that Louis paused for a minute, and that’s when she grabbed another gun from the dresser. Jasmine alleged that he then began running towards her when she fell back onto a recliner, and the gun went off.
Jasmine was arrested only a few days later, in April 2021, and charged with the capital murder of Louis Bryant. With her charge, she was facing either the death penalty or life in prison without the possibility of parole. She initially served five weeks in prison before being released on a $100,000 bond. However, the investigation before the trial revealed text messages that the accused had sent to Louis’ cousin, which informed the latter about how Louis had allegedly hit her and even their child. Diary entries from her oldest daughter also claimed that he had been abusive towards Jasmine. She continued to claim self-defense.
Jasmine’s jury trial for the murder of Louis was scheduled to commence in the week of April 15, 2024. However, after reviewing the case facts and speaking with the family members, the prosecution reportedly decided to drop the charge against her. Before the trial began, the twist came when Louis’ family members themselves testified before the court how they believed that Jasmine had killed him in the act of self-defense. The judge officially dismissed her charge of capital murder with prejudice. It means that the prosecution will not be able to reopen the case. As of writing, Jasmine has been living a quiet and diligent life with her children away from the limelight.
Read More: Where is Jasmine Drake Now? Accused Guilty or Innocent Update
