Seay family

The Seay family is a family of four residing on U. S. Highway 78 in which each member has either been charged with or convicted of murder or attempted murder. Mother Yolanda Seay (born c. 1967) raised three boys, Martez (born c. 1984), Cortez (born c. 1986) and Demarious (born c. 1991) with help from her mother, Ethel Brown. According to friends and neighbors the boys were raised in a disciplined household and regularly attended Mount Hermon Baptist Church.

Cortez pleaded guilty to the murder of Joe Mack Carpenter on December 14, 2004. He was accused of invading the suspected drug house at the Larkway Gardens Apartments armed with a shotgun. He argued with the occupants about money before opening fire, killing Carpenter and wounding two others. He is serving a life sentence and and two 25-year sentences concurrently. He will be eligible for parole in 2019.

Demarious dropped out of Parker High School at 16. On April 12, 2008 he and another teenager were charged with capital murder for the April shooting death of Brandon Donkor, a Parker student. Donkor was found dead in his car after it crashed into the pool house at Dorothy Spears Park. Yolanda and her sister offered their homes as security to post his $100,000 bail.

Martez dropped out of West End High School. He later got his GED and worked at Little Caesar's Pizza. He has two daughters. He and his then girlfriend Kandi Hawkins were charged with capital murder in the May 2009 death of Lonnie Vaughn, a Vestavia Hills man who was found dead and stripped of his clothing in a wooded area near Westchester Drive and 1st Street Northwest.

Martez was later charged in the November 24, 2008 murder of Gregory Shelton, Jr, an East Lake man who had argued with Seay before. Shelton's body was found in a field near South Park Drive in Southwest Birmingham. The initial charge against Seay was dismissed when prosecutors declined to identify a witness, but a Grand Jury hearing is still likely. He is also a suspect, along with Luran "Flukie" Harrell III, in the December 28 double homicide that claimed the lives of Osmond Williams and his girlfriend, Woodlawn High School student Darrelle Sampson in a car in the alley behind the 7400 block of 1st Avenue South in East Lake. According to prosecutors, Williams was targeted as retribution for stealing drugs from dealer Kareem Fenderson. The contract killing was arranged by Michael Mays. Sampson was killed because she was in the car with Williams.

A month later, Kandi Hawkins was shot and left for dead on the 2700 block of 20th Avenue North. She survived, but was left a quadriplegic. Yolanda and Martez have been charged with solicitation for murder and conspiracy to commit murder in her shooting. Demarious has been charged with attempted murder along with Michael Mays and Gregory Green.

In November 2009 Demarious pleaded guilty to felony murder in Donkor's shooting and agreed to enter a guilty plea in the shooting of Hawkins.

References

• Robinson, Carol (June 20, 2009) "Birmingham brothers' slaying cases burden their mother." Birmingham News
• Robinson, Carol (August 17, 2009) "Mom burdened when three sons implicated in Birmingham murders is now charged too." Birmingham News
• Velasco, Eric (November 13, 2009) "Demarius Seay pleads guilty to felony murder in death of Birmingham teen Brandon Donkor." Birmingham News
• Velasco, Eric (December 1, 2009) "Martez Seay linked to two additional killings." Birmingham News