Two Ohio men have been convicted of murdering a pregnant woman with whom one of them was expecting a child — despite claiming he was not the father.
A jury in Toledo’s Lucas County found Paris James, 37, and Jerry Scott, 28, guilty of aggravated murder, aggravated burglary, and tampering with evidence, among other charges, in the deaths of Tameisha Price and her unborn child, Malaysia, according to prosecutors.
Price, 34, was eight months pregnant and only weeks away from giving birth.
James, the baby’s father, planned the killings, which Scott assisted in carrying out. On January 24, 2024, the men murdered Price at her Norton Place home in Toledo. Cellphone data revealed that after killing Price and the child, the men attempted to hide the gun in a marsh, but a park ranger later discovered it during a search, according to prosecutors.
According to warrants obtained by local ABC affiliate WTVG, James informed investigators that he was “disputing his potential paternity of the child.” According to the Toledo Blade, prosecutors introduced text messages between James and the victim in which he denied paternity and requested that she have an abortion. Other text messages reportedly showed James promising to financially support the baby.
Additional texts revealed conversations with another man James attempted to hire to kill Price, but when that plan failed, he turned to Scott, according to the Blade.
James’ girlfriend, Shatwiya Triplett, who was also pregnant at the time of the murders, is facing an obstruction charge for allegedly lying to investigators about James’ presence. Her case is ongoing.
James and Scott’s sentencing is scheduled for July 28. They could face up to life in prison without parole.
“We hope this verdict brings some peace to the families of Tameisha and Malaysia, and I hope their memories will live on in their hearts,” Lucas County Prosecuting Attorney Julia R. Bates said in a statement. “We are grateful for the jury’s service in what was a marathon case that required careful consideration of detailed mobile data.”
Price left behind two sons, aged 16 and 13, when she died.
“Tameisha was a loving, caring, and giving daughter, sister, mother, and friend,” a GoFundMe page read. “Tameisha cherished the Lord. She was an incredible soul whose love had a profound impact on the lives of everyone she met.”
