Birmingham Man Sentenced to Life After Pleading Guilty to Girlfriend's Beating Death

A 57-year-old man from Birmingham has admitted to the 2022 beating death of his girlfriend.

Fessor Vontrese McKinney III pleaded guilty to capital murder on Monday for killing 38-year-old Holli Jo Wilson during a kidnapping. His plea was made before Jefferson County Circuit Judge Alaric May. As part of the agreement, McKinney will spend the rest of his life in prison without the chance of parole.

The case was handled by Jefferson County Deputy District Attorneys Warren Brooks and Aaron Brown. McKinney was represented by defense attorneys Scott Brower, Anthony Bowling, and Maston Evans.

The charge of capital murder was made because McKinney had kept Wilson against her will with the intent to harm her.

Wilson was found dead on Sunday, July 24, 2022, in a home located in the Collegeville neighborhood of northern Birmingham. Police were called to the 3100 block of 30th Avenue North around 5 a.m. They found Wilson unresponsive when they arrived, and she was pronounced dead on the scene by Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service at 5:53 a.m. The coroner confirmed that Wilson died from blunt force trauma.

According to the police, McKinney and Wilson lived together in the home. Shortly after the incident, McKinney turned himself in to the authorities. He has been held without bond since his arrest and will now be transferred to state prison.