Jaja Mani Found Guilty in Deaths of East Memphis Couple

(Shelby County, TN)- Jaja Mani, charged in the deaths of an East Memphis couple, was found guilty of two counts of First Degree Murder and one count of Attempted First Degree Murder on Friday.

The charges stem from an incident that happened in 2020. Police said the shooting occurred after Mani assisted in trying to intimidate victims, Emmanuel and Nancy MacDonal from testifying in a June 2020 shooting case in which their son was shot in the head. A man named Kevin Gomez was charged with Attempted Second Degree Murder in that case.

Police say that on November 12, 2020, the MacDonals were found dead next to their Ford Explorer on Patterson Street, and their son, Emmanuel Jr., was found critically wounded in the back seat.

Although Mani was not the shooter, the State presented pages of evidence and several videos to show his criminal responsibility that led to their deaths. The jury found Mani guilty, resulting in an automatic Life Sentence for the murders.

“We are pleased that the jury returned guilty verdicts to give justice to Emmanuel Jr. and the justice obtained for the death of his parents,” said Assistant District Attorney Steve Raglan who handled the case along with ADA Gavin Smith.

Sentencing for the additional charges is scheduled for May 16th.

The investigation is ongoing.