Suvechha Sarkar
In early June 2016, an ordinary morning in the diverse neighborhood of Tulsa, Oklahoma, took a chilling turn when a passerby encountered a distressed 5-year-old boy seeking help. Soon after, the officials discovered the remains of Meshawna Latrice Jones and her friend Markey Goff in an SUV, leaving deep emotional scars on their friends and family. A&E’s ‘The First 48: Stolen Innocence’ explores the intertwined webs of tragedy and the investigation that led the officials to the killer and the accomplice.
Meshawna Jones and Markey Goff’s Life Was Unexpectedly Cut Short by a Brutal Crime
On August 31, 1984, Gerald Craig Jones and Juanita Arnetta Ayers welcomed their baby girl, Meshawna Latrice Jones, into this world. She grew up to be an individual with immense faith and attended McLain High School, where she was on the path to attaining her GED. She was leading a happy life, which was further blessed when she gave birth to her four children. A devoted stay-at-home mom, Meshawna always showered them with affection. However, tragedy unexpectedly struck her life when she lost her son, Delarentre Jones. Despite the hurdles, she never backed away from being a kind person.
Markey Goff was born on March 6, 1990, lighting up the world of his parents, Thomas and Gaylene Goff. Family was always his priority as he grew up goofing around with his three brothers and two sisters. Markey was a hard-working individual who completed his GED at Tulsa Public School and later pursued his engineering degree. He finally embraced fatherhood when he welcomed his two baby boys. Markey was a favorite grandchild of his grandfathers — Lester Brown and Johnny Goff. He was also immensely loved by his grandmother, Lonnie Hall. In the course of time, he became friends with Meshawna, and the duo fostered an amicable bond. Everything was picture-perfect until June 13, 2016, when they went out with Meshawna’s two children to get something to eat.
The following day, 911 received a call from a passerby around 6:20 am on June 14. He informed them that a 5-year-old boy was looking for help. When the officials arrived at Chamberlain Park, they were shocked to find a man and a woman shot dead in an SUV, with a 1-year-old baby, unharmed. They identified the woman as 33-year-old Meshawna Jones and the man beside her as 26-year-old Markey Goff. Detectives were unable to find the cell phones of the victims from the crime scene but found a 9mm shell casing on the floor of the car. Their cause of death was determined to be from the gunshot wounds. With a double homicide at hand, the detectives wasted no time to begin the investigation.
Meshawna and Markey’s Killer Had a History With Prison and an Accomplice
The investigators first spoke to a witness who reportedly told them he saw the SUV around 9 pm and heard an argument. However, he added that he did not hear any gunshots. When the officials checked the CCTV footage near the crime scene, it revealed that another car had arrived just after the victims’ car stopped at the location. They saw a woman run to the car and then sprint away. Another witness account brought a new lead, who reportedly let the police know that he had seen a “black guy” walking towards the victims’ vehicle and heard gunshots shortly after. He also mentioned that the girl who ran away was supposed to meet them on that fateful night. After verifying these leads, the officials reportedly confirmed that the girl in the footage was not a suspect.
Following this, officials discovered a male suspect driving a red car in the footage. This was soon followed by a breakthrough when they checked Markey’s phone records. He had contacted an individual named Jacky Cardale Mayfield, who owned the same red car seen in the footage. It was revealed that Jacky had been previously convicted of assault and battery with a deadly weapon. Another tip informed the officials that the suspect had confessed to trying to rob his best friend and then shooting him and the woman beside him. On June 17, 2016, he was finally arrested at the Comanche Park Apartments in the 3600 block of North Quaker. Upon checking Jacky’s car, they found the phone of the victims and a gun with 9mm rounds. When he was questioned, he reportedly denied having any involvement in the crime.
Jacky alleged that he had spoken to Markey on the phone that day, but he had no idea what had gone down. He was finally charged with two counts of first-degree murder. On checking the suspect’s phone records, investigators found out that he had called Rebecca Williams, who already had a couple of misdemeanor warrants to her name, just after the double homicide. When questioned, she initially denied knowing anything about the murders before ultimately confessing that Jacky had asked her to collect the phones of the victims from the SUV. She claimed that when she reached the car, she found their remains. Thus, Rebecca was arrested and charged with accessory after the fact.
Jacky Mayfield and Rebecca Williams Have Been Brought to Justice
After the arrest, the trial of Rebecca Williams finally began on January 7, 2019. Rebecca pleaded guilty to accessory after the fact. The prosecutor stated that she assisted the primary suspect in concealing evidence related directly to the crime. She was convicted and sentenced to 10 years in prison on March 26, 2019. On the other hand, the trial of Jacky Mayfield began in 2020. The prosecution initially sought the death penalty for the murder of Meshawna Jones and Markey Goff. They pointed out the evidence alongside the fact that Jacky had a history of violent crime. They also reportedly mentioned that he posed a continuous risk to the community.
However, the defense challenged the pursuit of the death penalty based on constitutional grounds. They emphasized that Jacky had an IQ below 70, which indicated crucial cognitive limitations for him. After deliberation, the jury convicted him of two counts of first-degree murder on August 6, 2020. Jacky was ultimately sentenced to life imprisonment with the possibility of parole, provided he served 85% of his sentence. He received an additional 10-year sentence for the possession of a firearm. As of writing, Jacky is serving his time at Oklahoma State Penitentiary, located in McAlester, Oklahoma. Rebecca was discharged on February 3, 2022, under pre-release supervision and has been living a quiet life since then.
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