A Pennsylvania jury took less than an hour Thursday to return guilty verdicts for a man and a woman charged in the murder of a school teacher and mom shot dead in her car in a Dunkin’ drive-thru with her 11-year-old son in the back seat.
Rachel King, 35, was taking her son to violin practice on April 11, 2023, as CrimeOnline reported. She stopped at the Cheltenham Township Dunkin’ on the way, and another vehicle pulled in behind her and stopped a short distance away. A man later identified as 34-year-old Zakkee Steven Alhakim got out, fired multiple shots into King’s driver’s side window, then jumped back in his car and sped away.
The boy was not physically harmed.
Alhakim and 35-year-old Julie Jean were arrested and charged with first degree murder less than two weeks later. Prosecutors said that Jean had an affair with Hill’s boyfriend, William Hayes, a year earlier and that after he broke it off, she continued to harass Hill and Hayes, prompting Hayes to obtain an order of protection against her.
Prosecutors said that Jean contacted Alhakim in February 2023 and began planning the murder.
Their trial began Monday, WCAU reported. The jury learned that Jean and Alhakim bought the Mercury Sable Alhakim drove in the shooting on March 30, 2023, under Jean’s name, for $1,500.
Prosecutors showed the jury the interrogation videos of both suspects. The two were sentenced to life in prison.
After the verdicts, Rachel King’s family spoke with WCAU.
“There really were no winners today. This was not a winning situation at all,” said her father, Rev. Allen King. “My daughter is gone. This does not bring her back. We’re glad to have memories of her, but my heart grieves. Aches.”
Her mother, Carol King, told WPVI that the family is “thankful to God for giving us the strength to go through this, and today is a day of victory for Rachel.”
Kimg was a teacher at Grover Cleveland Elementary School in Philadelphia’s Tioga-Nicetown neighborhood.
