Jamaurea Jermaine Britton was taken into custody on Tuesday and charged with one count of murder and one count of terroristic threat of a family or household member in the slaying of Deja Hood, records reviewed by Law&Crime show.
According to an affidavit of probable cause obtained by the Tyler Morning Telegraph, Hood’s body was discovered in a creek behind a building in the Hollytree Apartment complex in the 6100 block of Hollytree Drive in Tyler, Texas. She had been reported missing by her family the previous day, and investigators said she was last seen with Britton.
In an interview with investigators, Britton reportedly told a story that was provably false before eventually confessing to the killing of Hood.
When police first arrived at his apartment, officers said they noticed the word “LOSER” spray painted on the wall of his entryway, according to a report from Tyler Fox affiliate KETK.
“Britton claimed the spray paint was done by an ex-girlfriend of his a few days ago,” police wrote in an affidavit. “Upon closer look at the spray paint marks, I could clearly see within the fray of the carpet to be a red substance similar to a saturated blood spot.”
Britton then claimed the blood was from his dog, claiming the animal had recently had a medical issue.
Britton told police that he had asked Hood to help him pack up his personal belongings as he prepared to move out of the Hollytree Apartments and picked her up at her home on Monday, per the Telegraph. Hood, who had been babysitting a 1-year-old then, brought the toddler to Britton’s home.
Britton reportedly said that he was dealing with feelings of anger when a seemingly innocuous act by Hood set him off.
“Britton stated, while Hood and the child were at his apartment, he was in the kitchen alone, thinking about his ex-girlfriend and the breakup,” the affidavit said. “Britton explained how Hood approached him and playfully tugged on his ear, which is something his ex-girlfriend would do. He stated he went into a ‘fit of rage.””
Britton reportedly picked up a glass bottle of wine and approached Hood from behind.
With the glass bottle in his hand, he approached Hood from behind and smashed the bottle against the back of Hood’s head, causing her to fall backward to the floor,” the affidavit states. “He then knelt to her body and punched her one time in the face with his closed fist. He then claimed to have put his hands around Hood’s throat and began to ‘strangle’ her. Britton then admitted to reaching over and grabbing a hammer and striking Hood in the head over and over until the wooden handle broke.”
Britton claimed he believed he’d beaten Hood to death and tried to kill himself twice, once by running into a wall with a knife pointed at his chest and once with a recently purchased gun. However, he said a neighbor knocked on the door and interrupted him.
After driving the 1-year-old Hood had been babysitting to Hood’s mother’s home, Britton said he returned home and found that Hood was still alive and calling his name. He stabbed her several times, wrapped her body in plastic wrap and sheets, and tossed her in the ravine behind his apartment.
He was booked into the Smith County Jail and is currently being held on bond of over $1 million, records show.
