Mother of man on trial for killing two people near Hal's St. Paddy's Parade arrested

JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – The mother of the man on trial for allegedly killing two people near the Hal's St. Paddy's parade in March 2023 has been arrested in court.

Judge Fay Peterson said the Hinds County Prosecutor's Office told her about several violations that occurred during Jordan Cummins' trial.

Peterson said Jenny Lukens, who is Cummins' girlfriend and has also been charged in the case, and an expected witness, Lindsey Emmerson, were recorded making a jailhouse phone call. Emmerson reportedly gave Lukens an overview of the trial.

According to the district attorney's office, Cummins' mother was on a phone conversation with him and Lukens. The three men reportedly talked about posting on Facebook to change people's minds about the case.

Cummins' mother was arrested by Hinds County deputies during the trial on Wednesday, June 12. She was also banned from Hinds County Circuit Court until the end of the trial.

“The court understands the love and concern of a parent. However, this does not mean that you have the right to violate this court's order, tamper with witnesses, or do things that are outside the scope of what you are supposed to do. It's not about her talking to her son. This is when you take action to undermine the integrity of those procedures. And that won't happen. I would do the same thing if I found out someone was doing the same thing on the other side,” Peterson said.

The judge said both incidents are considered witness tampering and hindering prosecution.

Cummins was charged with two counts of first-degree murder in connection with the deaths of Joshua Spann, 27, and Auden Jubilee Simpkins, 23. Cummins was also charged with one count of smuggling.

Authorities said Spann and Simpkins were shot and killed around 1 p.m. near Jefferson Street on Saturday, March 25, 2023, during Hal's St. Paddy's Parade. Cummins was arrested the same day in connection with the shooting.

Cummins' attorney, Bill Kellum, argued that it was a case of self-defense and that there was no evidence that Cummins beat Lukens before the double homicide.

Lukens was arrested on Friday, June 23, 2023 in connection with the shooting. She was indicted by a Hinds County grand jury for hindering prosecution for her alleged role in the double homicide.