JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — When Iyana McGraw's accused killers were arrested in 2022, her aunt Gloria McGraw told First Coast News justice had been served.
But she would not have closure, she said, until they were convicted.
That closure could be coming this week.
Gerod Fields and George Prince Jr. were accused of killing Iyana McGraw, who was gunned down in 2019. She was 19 at the time, pregnant and four days away from giving birth. Her baby was delivered, but died months later.
Fields pleaded guilty to the crime. But Prince will go before a jury this week to decide if he is convicted for the death of McGraw and her baby.
He is accused of first-degree (premeditated) murder and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Opening statements were beginning underway Tuesday morning with witnesses expected to begin testifying later in the day.
What happened?
According to an arrest report by JSO, investigators determined that two handguns were used in the shooting, which were later recovered.
The report says a witness told police a drug feud between Prince and McGraw's then-boyfriend, Miles Hall, led to the shooting.
The witness told investigators that Hall "shot up" Prince's apartment, which police later confirmed. The witness outside the apartment said that after the shooting, Prince asked them where Hall was, then told the witness he was going to buy bullets, according to the report.
Later that evening, the report says Prince told the witness he was "going to handle something." The witness reported to investigators that Prince had a handgun and latex gloves on. The witness said Prince then left toward the McGraw's apartment, and the witness reported hearing gunshots coming from the area.
McGraw's apartment is less than half a mile from Prince's, according to the report.
Another valuable witness in the investigation was was arrested in October 2019 as part of an unrelated investigation into him and Prince.
The witness told investigators that Prince and Miles Hall were once friends but had a falling out over drugs, and said that he was at Prince's apartment when Hall allegedly shot it up, according to the report. The witness said Prince believed that Hall was responsible for the shooting and said he was going to look for Hall with a gun and latex gloves.
According to the report, the witness refused to go with Prince, saying he was not sure who shot at the apartment. Prince replied, "I don't care; I kill women and children too," according to the arrested report.
A third witness, who lived near the apartment complex said she saw Prince, who she knew, outside McGraw's apartment moments after hearing gunshots.
Eight days later, investigators had their first break connecting Gerod Fields to McGraw's shooting after he was arrested in possession of one of the handguns used in the shooting, according to the arrest report.
Then, a witness came to investigators and said that Fields had confessed to the shooting to the witness, the arrest report says. The witness said Fields told them that Prince paid Fields $1,000 to do the shooting with him.
