MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) - A relative of a Prichard man convicted in a murder-for-hire conspiracy pleaded not guilty Wednesday to a witness-tampering charge related to a social media livestream.
A sworn affidavit from an FBI agent lays out the allegations. Law enforcement investigators alleged that Jasmin Alyiah Rowser, 29, of Chickasaw, made a Facebook Live on Oct. 10, with the federal courthouse in Mobile in the background.
That date is significant because it was while the trial of Darrius D. Rowser and two co-defendants was going on inside the courthouse. Prosecutors alleged that Rowser committed three violent acts in 2022 as part of that scheme: a fatal shooting that was a carjacking attempt outside a Mississippi casino; a shooting at the Paparazzi Lounge on Dauphin Street that wounded four people; and a shooting at the Walmart off of the Interstate 65 Service Road.
During Jasmin Rowser's 7 minute and 45 second video, according to the affidavit, she describes herself as Darrius Rowser's cousin and denounces Jacory Campbell - who was set to testified for the prosecution.
The FBI affidavit states that Jasmin Rowser's livestream garnered 4,800 views in a matter of hours and featured the defendant calling Campbell a "killer rat" and a "federal snitch," among other things.
Jasmin Rowser's lawyer, Buzz Jordan, noted that his client is not accused of contacting Campbell directly or explicitly threatening violence.
"There may be a First Amendment argument that you can apply," he said. "It just depends on how broad the statute is as far as threats vs. what First Amendment allows you to say."
According to the criminal complaint, Rowser pronounced herself "appalled" that Campbell was going to be a prosecution witness.
"I'm on Live exposing JC for being a federal snitch," the affidavit quotes her as saying.
Rowser described her shock several times.
"I am blowe," she said. "But I'll keep y'all updated. I got a tablet. I got a notebook and a pen. I gotta take notes. I'm going to write down every single (expletive) thing that he gets up there and say. I swear to God. I got my little handy dandy notebook, baby, I got my coffee. I'm fixin' to be on it y'all."
The affidavit quotes her saying at another point, 'I'm going to y'all everything this killer rat get up there and say."
A judge set Rowser's trial for January. If convicted, she could get up to 20 years in prison, although the actual punishment likely would be less under advisory guidelines. Darrius Rowser, meanwhile, is set to be sentenced in the murder-for-hire case in March. He faces a possible life prison sentence.
Jordan said he has to review the evidence before determining how to proceed.
"She's just very remorseful about the whole situation. ... She didn't intend to do anything wrong," he told FOX10 News. "I think it's just a spur-of-the-moment-type event."