Tasmiyah Whitehead, one of the Georgia twins who pleaded guilty to killing their mother as teenagers, has been released on parole more than 16 years after the fatal attack.

Whitehead, now 33, was released from Pulaski State Prison on Aug. 5, 2026, according to Georgia corrections records. She and her identical twin sister, Jasmiyah, were 16 when their mother, Jarmecca “Nikki” Whitehead, was killed inside the family’s Conyers home in January 2010.

Twins Pleaded Guilty in Mother’s Death
The sisters were initially charged with murder after investigators determined that they were responsible for their mother’s death.

In 2014, both accepted plea deals that reduced the murder charges to voluntary manslaughter. Tasmiyah also pleaded guilty to possessing a knife during a crime and making false statements to authorities.

Her combined sentence totaled 30 years, although she ultimately spent about 16 years in custody, including time before her conviction.

The killing occurred after a confrontation between the teenagers and their mother. Prosecutors said the dispute escalated into a violent physical struggle, during which Nikki Whitehead was stabbed repeatedly.

The sisters initially attempted to convince investigators that they had discovered their mother after returning home from school. Their account eventually unraveled as investigators found evidence connecting them to the killing.

Grandmother Criticized the Sentence
The case shocked the community and drew strong criticism from the twins’ grandmother, Lynda Whitehead.

During the 2014 proceedings, Lynda questioned how the sisters could receive sentences that allowed for the possibility of parole after her daughter had been brutally killed.

The parole board later determined that Tasmiyah could be released because there was a reasonable probability she would remain free without violating the law. She had technically become eligible for parole in 2017 but remained incarcerated for roughly nine additional years.

Twin Sister Remains Behind Bars
Jasmiyah Whitehead remains incarcerated.

Although the sisters received the same plea agreement and sentence, their release timelines have diverged. Jasmiyah is expected to become eligible for parole in 2028, according to reports citing Georgia corrections and parole records.

Tasmiyah will remain under parole supervision, with Georgia records listing May 19, 2040, as the maximum possible end date of her parole.

The release marks a major new chapter in a case that began more than 16 years ago and remains one of Georgia’s most notorious teenage murder cases.

Course: NY Post