Cummins sentenced to life in prison for St. Paddy's Day murders

Jordan Cummins was sentenced Monday to life in prison, after being convicted last week of two counts of first-degree murder in the shooting deaths of Joshua Spann, 27, and Auden Jubilee Simpkins, 23. The incident took place during Hal's annual ceremony. & Mal's St. Patrick's Day Parade in Jackson on March 25, 2023, when a group of friends intervened in an argument between Cummins and his girlfriend, Jenny Lukens.

Hinds County Circuit Judge Faye Peterson sentenced Cummins to two concurrent, non-consecutive life sentences.

Kelly Simpkins, the father of Jubilee Simpkins, was allowed to address the court and the defendant during the sentencing hearing. Simpkins, who had difficulty speaking at first, looked at Cummins and said, “Jubilee was my little girl. She spent most of her youth on my shoulders. You cannot imagine the pain and agony you have caused us with his loss.

Simpkins went on to say that “we will always wonder what she was thinking in her final moments.” Did she know how much we loved her? Simpkins explained how the Bible taught him that “we can have justice without hatred and we can have punishment without vengeance.” Simpkins went on to say that for there to be forgiveness, there must be justice. He defers to Judge Peterson, with his wisdom and experience, to decide the appropriate sanction to impose on Cummins.

Cummins' mother, Angie Kellum, then spoke on her son's behalf. She began by saying that “several other people should have been charged in this case but were not” and that “this generation feels they must resort to violence to settle their differences.” Guns and alcohol don't mix. She pleaded with the Court to show leniency towards her son.

Cummins had the opportunity to address the court and the victims' families. He said he “deeply regrets the deaths of Josh and Jubilee.” He said it was not his intention to kill them. Cummins' attorney, Bill Kellum, asked the court to run the life sentences concurrently, arguing that Cummins did not plan the attack and had no prior criminal record.

Judge Peterson made the final comments during the hearing and said “this Court does not fault a defendant for exercising his right to a trial” in determining sentencing. The judge went on to say that “there are no winners here.” Judge Peterson then sentenced Cummins to two life sentences, to run concurrently.

Although a defendant convicted of first degree murder is not eligible for parole in Mississippi, he can ask the circuit judge in the sentencing county to review his sentence for parole, once he has reached the age of sixty-five (65 years). ) and have served at least fifteen (15) years of their sentence.