By SPEAKIN’ OUT NEWS
A Gadsden woman has been arrested in connection with a 2023 homicide case in Jackson County, authorities confirmed.
Johneil Steadman, 23, of Gadsden, was taken into custody on Christmas Day and charged with murder and abuse of a corpse, according to jail records. Steadman was booked into the Jackson County Jail at 9:38 a.m.
Jackson County Sheriff Rocky Harnen said the arrest is tied to the discovery of a body found on Aug. 18, 2023, near Langston, according to reporting by WHNT.
The victim was found wrapped in plastic in Lake Guntersville, near the border of Marshall and Jackson counties. A fisherman made the discovery off County Road 67, just before South Sauty Creek, prompting a large-scale investigation involving multiple agencies.
The body was later identified as Jamari Jajuan Moore, 25, of Scottsboro. Authorities ruled Moore’s death a homicide, though details surrounding the cause of death have not been publicly released.
Moore, a native of Fort Payne, had most recently lived in Lithonia, Georgia, before returning to Alabama. Known by friends as “Mop,” Moore was pursuing a career in music production and had recently begun breeding bulldogs with his brother.
Family members said Moore had been living in Alabama for only about a month before his death.
Law enforcement officials have not released additional information regarding the circumstances surrounding the homicide or Steadman’s alleged role in the case. Investigators have also not indicated whether additional arrests are expected.
As with all criminal cases, the charges against Steadman are allegations. She is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
The case remains under investigation.