Plea agreement details investigation that led to guilty plea for kidnapping that resulted in Noel woman's murder

 

The sentencing of Mahamud Tooxoow Mahamed for the 2019 kidnapping that led to the murder of Jessica McCormack, 25, Noel, the mother of three and a former Carthage resident, will be the last step in a years-long process of bringing the Somali national to justice.

A pre-sentence investigation was ordered for Mahamed Friday and no date has been scheduled for the sentencing.

Several law enforcement agencies contributed to the effort to bring Mahamed to justice, something that becomes apparent in the detailing of the case in the plea agreement, which was filed this week in U. S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri.

From the plea agreement:

On July 16, 2019, law enforcement officers with the Noel, Missouri Marshal's Office contacted Jessica McCormack and her three children at 229 Main Street, Noel Missouri, McCormack's three children were identified as 4-year-old Jane Doe, 2-year-old Jane Doe 2 and 6-month-old Jane Doe 3.

McCormack called 9-1-1 on July 16, 2019 at 7:01 a.m. and stated that the defendant, Mahamud Tooxoow Mahamed, her paramour, had held her at knife point and tried to force her to have sexual intercourse with him. McCormack repeatedly reported to the 9-1-1 operator that she was worried that Mahamed will harm her three children who were in the apartment with him.

McCormack noted that she was outside and needed to go back into the apartment for her children's sake, but the 9-1-1 operator asked her to remain outside to guide arriving law enforcement.

McCormack told the 9-1-1 operator that Mahamed had a knife and had more knives in the apartment. Near the end of the call, McCormack stated that Mahamed had come outside and was with her.

McCormack was heard stating, "Tito, I just did it for your own good," and then she said, "He's going to go up, Tito, stop. Please don't. He's going upstairs to the kids now, come on."

McCormack was overheard screaming, "Tito, stop, Tito, my kids, Tito stop!"

Officers contacted McCormack in scene and Mahamed was observing fleeing the apartment. This was the last time, McCormack was observed alive and the last time anyone reported observing the Jane Does in Missouri.

On July 16, 2019, Megan Bailey went to McCormack's apartment but could not locate McCormack or her girls. Bailey knocked on the door and could hear noise, but no one came to answer the door.

On July 16, 2019, at 9:34 p.m. Bailey called the Missouri Social Services Children's Division Hotline to report a safety concern. Bailey reported that she went to pick up McCormack's children, but when she knocked on the door, no one answered. 

On the following day, July 17, 2019, Bailey returned to the apartment again and when Bailey knocked on the door, no one answered.

On July 17, 2019, at 1:14 p.m., Kendra Baker called McDonald County Missouri 9-1-1 dispatch to report that she had been unable to contact McCormack since July 16, 2019. Baker stated she was in Jefferson City, Missouri, but she had not been able to contact McCormack via phone.

The last time Baker spoke with McCormack was on the morning of July 16, 2019. Noel Police Department Marshal Randy Wilson was dispatched to McCormack's apartment at 1:19 p.m.; however, no one answered the door. On July 17, 2019, Children's Division case worker Angela Bridges responded to McCormack's apartment to make contact, but no one answered the door.

On July 18, 2019, Ms. Bridges returned to McCormack's apartment and Sarah (Faust) Ritter answered the door. Ritter stated that McCormack and Mahamed were no longer living at the apartment and she did know where they were.

On July 19, 2019, the McDonald County, Missouri Sheriff's Office received a report of a deceased body that was located off of Missouri Highway 59 between Lanagan, Missouri and Noel, Missouri.

The reporting party, G. H. reported he observed a pink suitcase with feet sticking out in a ditch on the roadside. Corporal B. Ernest responded to the scene and G. H. pointed out where the suitcase was.

Upon inspection, Cpl. Ernest located a pink suitcase with a decomposed body. The deceased female was located in a partially unclothed state next to the suitcase. She had a pink tank top on that was pushed up to her shoulder area. The head was severely decomposed with no skin on it. The body and the suitcase were in a ditch next to a bluff hidden from the highway and passing traffic by tall grass.

It appeared that the suitcase had fallen from the bluff and the zipper had been ripped. The deceased was later identified by DNA analysis to be McCormack.

On approximately July 28, 2019 or July 29, 2019, Rahma Ahmed, the defendant's cousin, received a phone call from Mahamed. Mahamed told her he was bringing his other three daughters to her in Minnesota. When Ahmed asked why he was bringing the girls, Mahamed noted that something bad had happened and he could be in trouble.

On August 1, 2019, Mahamed and the Jane Does arrived at Habiba Muse's residence in Rochester, Minnesota. Mahamed told Muse that he and the Jane Does had nowhere to go, so Muse gave Mahamed $50 to help with the Jane Does.

Mahamed and the Jane Does went back to Muse's residence on August 3, 2019. Muse stated that Mahamed tried to leave the Jane Does with her. Mahamed stated he and the kids would have to sleep at the bus top, so Muse gave him $100 so they would have somewhere to stay. Muse gave them a ride to a motel and Mahamed checked in around 12 a.m. at a Super 8.

Rochester, Minnesota police officers responded to the Super 8. The motel manager provided a copy of the surveillance footage from August 4, 2019 and a copy of Mahamed's driver's license he provided at check in.

In the video, Mahamed was observed checking in with Muse at approximately 12:36 a.m. on August 4, 2019. Mahamed is seen checking out the next day at approximately 11 a.m. and the children are visible on the footage.

On August 8, 2019, the Jane Does were recovered at Malyun Koliso's residence in Des Moines, Iowa. Koliso reported that on August 5, 2019, Mahamed arrived at her residence with the Jane Does between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. Koliso reported that on August 8, 2019, at approximately 4 a.m., she awoke to the children crying. When she got out of bed, she discovered that Mahamed was not in the residence. Koliso stated that she found a note from Mahamed informing her that he could not care for the children and had left.

Ritter later reported to law enforcement that Mahamed had told her McCormack left with the kids and he did not know where they had gone. Mahamed told Ritter that she could stay in the Noel apartment. Ritter stated that she saw Mahamed every day from the time she returned to the apartment on July 18, 2019 to McCormack's body being located on July 29, 2019.

Facebook messages between Mahamed and Ritter corroborated her statements. Additionally, Ritter noted that after McCormack's body was located, she began asking Mahamed where the Jane Does were via Facebook Messenger messages, both text and voice messages.

On August 7, 2019, Ritter asked Mahamed if he knew where the Jane Does were and if they were okay. To that, Mahamed sent a voice message through Facebook Messenger stating

Sweetheart, I'm trying to find them all. Uh, like cops don't know, nobody knows. They're talking about f---ing, they think that, uh, the lady in the suitcase is her. I, they're saying all kinds of different things. I'm just hoping and praying that my kids and wife are good. They're safe. And I'm trying to, trying to find them. Please keep trying to find her. I text her. I said please everybody is trying to help you, nobody is against you. If you're, if you're safe that's all we want to know. I, nobody even wants to know where you at, it's just the safety of her and the kidsis what everybody is worried about, so.

Mahamed continued to send messages to Ritter stating he hoped his kids are okay and he sent a message on August 8, 2019, asking Ritter, "who the f--- has m y kids?" Law enforcement also located messages sent by Mahamed using the same account to an account that had been utilized by McCormack.

On August 7, 2019 at 4:51 p.m., Mahamed sent a message stating, "Hey, Jess please me tell me you are ok and the kids are too and please answer everybody is trying to know if you are ok please let me know bae I'm worried sick here>'

Sometime in or after August 2019 and before September 19, 2019, Mahamed left the United States and began residing in Guatemala. Mahamed was located by Guatemalan law enforcement and on July 27, 2021, he was expelled by the Guatemalan government.

On July 27 2021, FBI Special Agent Cameron Heath and Special Agent Doug McKelway accepted custody of Mahamed at the La Aurora International Airport and transported him back to the United States.

On August 14, 2019, McDonald County Sheriff's Office and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent Stacy Moore executed a search warrant for various locations including a Buick LeSabre that was identified to be a vehicle used by Mahamed and McCormack.

FBI Emergency Response Team processed the Buick. From the Buick, FBI recovered 22 items, including a bag of clothing smelling like ammonia. The clothing had blood stains on them that tested presumptive positive for blood. The trunk's carpeted area also tested positive for blood. All items from the vehicle were sent to the FBI lab in Quantico for testing.

On February 11, 2022, Erica Ames with the FBI Laboratory DNA support unit concluded her DNA analysis. A cardboard sign from a trash bag in the trunk of the Buick LeSabre had a bloodstain right near the right edge of the sign.

The DNA profile obtained from the bloodstain was 69 billion times more likely if it originated from McCormack than any other individual. The trash bag the sign was located in had a blood stain on the outside. The DNA profile was 10 sextillion times more likely if McCormack was a contributor.

A bra inside the plastic trash bag had a bloodstain on the inside right side. The DNA profile was 3.3 sextillion times more likely if McCormack was a contributor.

On January 20, 2023, SA Moore contacted Eric Hudson and interviewed him in Noel. Hudson advised that he previously worked at the African Store in Noel, Missouri. Hudson worked there for a few years until it closed on December 28, 2020.

Hudson performed various duties, including working the cash register. Hudson stated that a lot of the merchandise in the store came from Minneapolis. Employees would travel to Minneapolis to bring the items to Noel. Other merchandise came from overseas, such as China and Turkey.

SA Moore asked Hudson if he knew Mahamed and Hudson stated he did. Hudson stated McCormack was Mahamed's girlfriend. Hudson recalled Mahamed purchasing a pink suitcase from him at the African Store. Hudson could not recall the exact date, but knew it was purchased prior to McCormack's body being discovered. Hudson stated the suitcase had rollers and a handle. Hudson pulled up a picture of a similar suitcase on the internet and showed it to SA Moore. Hudson distinctly recalled Mahamed purchased the last suitcase in inventory and Mahamed paid $60 cash for the suitcase. Hudson stated it was the same color and style as the suitcase he sold Mahamed.

A short time after selling the suitcase to Mahamed, Hudson recalled Mahamed was having trouble starting his van. Hudson tried to help Mahamed and told him he needed a new ignition switch for the van. Hudson recalled Mahamed acting desperate during this encounter.

On January 25, 2023, SA Moore contacted Luul Ahmed, who reported she was the owner of the African Stores in Noel, Minneapolis, Sioux City, South Dakota and Skylar, Nebraska. Luul Ahmed confirmed that the store in Noel had closed. Luul Ahmed reported she was responsible for procuring all the products sold in her stores. Luul Ahmed recalled selling suitcases in the Noel store and stated she purchased them from a vendor in Los Angeles, California.