Family seeks answers in woman, unborn child’s 2011 murder

MONTGOMERY, Ala, (WSFA) – It was April 26, 2011, and Arkita Stevenson was excited, her family says. She was getting ready to give birth and he’d just been to Jackson Hospital. But she wouldn’t deliver her baby. Her body was found just hours later.

According to police, Arkita Stevenson, 19 years old and 36 weeks pregnant, had been shot and killed. Her baby also died in the attack. Her body was abandoned in Montgomery on West Fleming Road.

Arkita Stevenson’s younger brother, Eric Stevenson, was a teenager then and said it was one of the worst days of his life.

“I think I was pretty much one of the first to find out when the detectives came to the house and asked me to identify and do I know this person by this name and they showed me some picture and I knew,” Eric Stevenson said.

What they don’t know is what exactly happened and why.

Qunita Stevenson, Arkita’s older sister, said that the day before her death, Arkita took a trip to Jackson Hospital because she wasn’t feeling well and was worried about the baby. They told her to come back the following day to get induced.

“The day before, she was admitted in a room and everything and then they decided to let her go late that evening,” Qunita Stevenson said, “I told her that she needed to be back at 6′ o clock in the morning, but unfortunately, she didn’t make it. They found her that morning.”

Qunita, their siblings, and the entire family instantly had questions. They were scared, shocked, and just in overall disbelief. What happened? Was she the victim of a random violent crime, or was she targeted by someone who didn’t want her to deliver the baby? These questions, years later, haunt this family, especially since no one has been arrested in this case.

Eric says he blames himself for Arkita’s death because he saw and talked to her the day before her body was found. He regrets not asking more questions about her appointment or her whereabouts.

“It’s just hard and I live with that every day,” Eric Stevenson said, “It’s been years and we always think about her. We just need help. We need someone to come forward because if this were your family, you would want someone to come forward.”

Arkita Stevenson’s family says they will remember her as a bubbly, fun person and the life of the party, and they often wonder what her life would’ve been like.

“She was the one, like, we wanted to come around,” Eric Stevenson said. “She would always get everybody into in good mood. She was just that person you looked forward to seeing.”

The Montgomery Cold Case Task Force is now investigating her case and Central Alabama Crimestoppers is offering a $5,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest. If you have any information, you’re urged to call 215-STOP.

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