Niyajah Hales : “Shocking Video Evidence in Wheeling Murder Trial”

|Photo by Emma Delk| Niyajah Hales speaks with defence attorneys during the first day of the Michael J. Jackson murder trial.

WHEELING – The trial of Niyajah Hales for the 2021 death of Wheeling resident Michael J. Jackson commenced with the prosecution presenting jurors surveillance footage from the VooDoo Lounge on Wheeling Island where Jackson was fatally shot.

Hales, a resident of Brooklyn, New York, is facing a first-degree murder charge in connection with the shooting of Jackson, which took place in the early hours of Jan. 28, 2021. The trial is being presided over by Ohio County Circuit Judge Michael Olejasz.

Jackson sustained multiple gunshot wounds outside the VooDoo Lounge, with Hales identified as the suspect by the Wheeling Police Department. Jackson later succumbed to his injuries at WVU Medicine Ruby Memorial Hospital.

Hales’ companion, Brian Steele, also from New York, was arrested by the WPD shortly after the shooting. Steele pleaded guilty to wanton endangerment with a firearm for firing a shot into the VooDoo Lounge on the night of Jackson’s death and received a five-year prison sentence in October 2021.

Prosecution’s Evidence Presentation

During the trial’s opening day, Ohio County Assistant Prosecutor Shawn Turak showcased surveillance footage of the incident to jurors while questioning the state’s first witness, WPD Detective Dean Redinger. Redinger had responded to the scene of the shooting on Jan. 28, collected evidence, and interviewed witnesses at the bar.

Turak highlighted the significance of the surveillance footage as the most compelling evidence in the trial. The video, she explained, captured four fundamental angles of the altercation between Hales and Jackson, depicting Hales’ alleged deliberate and premeditated killing of Jackson.

Defence’s Position

In contrast, defence attorney Braden Noon argued in his opening statements that the footage portrayed a bar fight rather than a premeditated murder. He contended that Hales was acting in self-defence after Jackson reportedly threw a beer bottle at him and Steele, escalating the confrontation from verbal to physical.

The surveillance footage included views from various cameras inside the VooDoo Lounge, showing the sequence of events leading up to the shooting. Footage from Spunky’s Laundromat across the street was also presented during Redinger’s testimony.

Key Moments from the Footage

One segment of the footage captured Jackson engaging in a verbal altercation with Hales and Steele inside the bar before the situation escalated and moved outside. The prosecution emphasised the timeline of events leading to the fatal shooting.

After viewing the footage, jurors were shown an interview between Hales and WPD Detective Robert Agostino following Hales’ arrest. Hales maintained that he did not know Jackson prior to the incident and claimed he was only at the bar to retrieve his phone.

Continuation of Trial

The trial is set to continue, with further evidence and testimonies expected to shed light on the circumstances surrounding the tragic death of Michael J. Jackson. Stay tuned for updates on this developing case.