TYLER, Texas — Editor's Note: The above video aired in September 2023.
A 20-year-old man accused of violently killing a young Tyler woman in September 2023 has now been charged with capital murder.
Jamaurea Jermaine Britton, of Tyler, was arrested Sept. 25, 2023 in connection with the death of 18-year-old Dejah Hood. Documents show he admitted to beating Hood with a hammer, strangling and stabbing her before throwing her body into ravine behind the Hollytree Apartments.
In December, a grand jury handed down an indictment for murder. However, he now faces a capital murder charge after another grand jury indictment came down recently, Smith County District Attorney Jacob Putman said Friday.
If a person is found guilty of capital murder, they face the death penalty or life in prison without parole. Putman said a decision on whether or not the state will seek a death sentence for Britton has not yet been made.
An arrest affidavit states Britton told police he went into a "fit of rage" after Dejah playfully tugged his ear, reminding him of his ex-girlfriend.
The affidavit said he confessed to smashing her head with a wine bottle, choking her and hitting her with a hammer, until the handle broke off. Evidence included footprints leading to her body, which was found wrapped up in a sheet in the creek behind the complex.
Court records show Britton's next status hearing will be on June 4 in the 114th District Court.