Naman Shrestha
In April 2021, when the news of Salahud-Din Ibn “Sal” Shabazz’s sudden demise broke out, it sent shockwaves across the entire community. As for his loved ones, they were taken over by a wave of grief. The intricate details of the entire case are explored in the episode titled ‘Workplace Wars’ of Investigation Discovery’s ‘Feuds Turned Fatal.’ Through the exclusive and in-depth interviews with the victim’s loved ones, we get a detailed account of the case as well as the investigation that ensued.
Salahud-Din Ibn “Sal” Shabazz Was Home Alone When He Was Ambushed
Born on January 28, 1982, to Muhammad Akbar Shabazz I and Martha Allen Shabazz, Salahud-Din Ibn “Sal” Shabazz had a memorable childhood alongside his many siblings, including Abdul Shabazz, Aesha Shabazz-Wright, Muhammad Shabazz II, Victor Cummings, Malcolm Parker, LaDonte Shabazz, Melody Shabazz, Rontez Shabazz, RonShad Shabazz, and Tamron Shabazz. At South Bend Clay High School, he made a name for himself in sports as he was exceptional in football and track. In 2001, he graduated from high school and joined Grand Valley State University before attending Minnesota State University. In both the colleges, he was known for his talent in football.
Besides sports, Sal also used poetry as a form of expression since his teenage years. Making the most of this talent, he even wrote and produced an album with his brother, Muhammad Shabazz II. Not long after completing his education, Sal married his soulmate, Jacqueline Shabazz, in 2007. Over the course of their marriage, the couple welcomed five beautiful kids into their world — Amere Anthony Dozier and four daughters, ZaNiah Shabazz, ZaRiah Shabazz, Zillah Shabazz, and Zaila Shabazz. Apart from being a doting father, he was also passionate about his country as he served in the US Army for four years, from 2008 to 2012.
After his time in the Army, Sal began living in the city of Newport News with his family and worked as a forklift operator at a local warehouse. Meanwhile, his wife worked at the United States Postal Office. Looking forward to watching his five children find success in their lives, the 39-year-old army veteran tragically lost his life in the early hours of April 7, 2021, in his residence. When the authorities arrived at the scene of the crime, they inspected the house and came across four Hornaday .380 auto cartridge casings alongside a cell phone near the entryway. The autopsy of the body determined that the cause of his death was multiple gunshot wounds that he had suffered on his body, including on his head and torso.
A Longtime Dispute of His Wife Led to the Demise of Salahud-Din Ibn “Sal” Shabazz
During the early stages of the homicide investigation, the detectives interviewed Salahud-Din Ibn “Sal” Shabazz’s loved ones and dug deep into his life in order to get a clearer picture of the circumstances surrounding his sudden demise. Soon, they learned that his wife, Jacqueline Shabazz, had a not-so-friendly relationship with her co-worker, Tashara Mone Jackson. It worsened in April 2021 when the two got involved in a conflict at a local nail salon, and Jacqueline reportedly ended up poking a knife into the back tire of Tashara’s car. One of the reasons for their dispute was the alleged extramarital relationship of Jacqueline with a mailman whose wife was friends with Tashara.
After returning home from a Las Vegas trip with Sal, Jacqueline found her car vandalized and its tires slashed. Immediately, she believed Tashara did it to get back at her for the other day. Thus, she and her husband allegedly crashed her going away party at Harpoon Larry’s, where the two women got into a physical fight. As per Jacqueline’s claims, after the fight, which lasted less than a couple of minutes, she and her daughters stayed at a York County motel. Meanwhile, Sal decided to stay at home, which turned out to be a fateful decision. After dropping off a few belongings at the hotel for his girls, Sal drove home.
According to his wife, around 2 am that night, there was a knock at the door while he was on call with her. Jacqueline claimed that the next thing she heard was gunshots, after which she immediately called 911. When she arrived at her house, she saw her husband’s body and noticed that the authorities were already examining the crime scene. Upon learning about the incident between Tashara and Jacqueline, the police dug deeper into it and learned that the former and her friend, Jeremy Pettway, could have gone to Sal and Jacqueline’s house to retaliate after the restaurant altercation.
Police Found Incriminating Evidence Against Sal’s Wife’s Co-Worker and Her Friend
The authorities searched the cell phone records of Tashara and Jeremy, only to discover that they were on the phone together a few minutes before the killing. Thanks to the surveillance footage in and around the neighborhood of Sal’s house, the investigators found evidence of the two suspects in and around the crime scene around the time of the murder. According to the prosecution, Jeremy was the one who knocked on Sal’s door and landed the fatal gunshots to his body. When he gave the gun to his friend, Ada Malone, to hide it in her house, Tashara reportedly became concerned about the police. Soon, the police found out about the murder weapon and retrieved it from under Ada’s bed during a search of her house.
Upon further examination of the cartridge casings found at the crime scene, it was determined that it was Jeremy’s gun that was used to kill Sal. With enough evidence against Jeremy and Tashara, they were arrested on April 22 and April 27, 2021, respectively. While the former was charged with first-degree murder, two counts of using a firearm in the commission of a felony, burglary, two counts of conspiracy to commit a felony, and shooting into an unoccupied dwelling, Tashara was charged with first-degree murder, burglary, and two counts of conspiracy to commit a felony.
Tashara Jackson and Jeremy Pettway Are Serving Their Terms in Different Virginia Prison Facilities
During Tashara Jackson’s trial for the murder of Salahud-Din Ibn “Sal” Shabazz, the defense tried to put the blame on his wife, Jacqueline Shabazz. They argued that she had a motive to kill her husband because of her alleged extramarital affair and their alleged marital problems. At first, the judge declared a mistrial. However, around late February 2022, the jury eventually returned with a guilty verdict for her and convicted her of being responsible for killing her co-worker’s husband in April 2021. More than a month later, on April 7, 2022, Jeremy Todd Pettway was found guilty and convicted of first-degree murder, conspiracy, and gun charges.
Just more than a year after the murder of 39-year-old Salahud-Din Ibn “Sal” Shabazz, the two convicts were sentenced to 39 years in prison each for the same. After the sentencing, the victim’s mother, Martha Shabazz, stated, “I wanted life without parole, but we’ll take 39 years. But it’s never going to bring Sal back.” As of today, 34-year-old Tashara Mone Jackson is incarcerated at the Fluvanna Correctional Center for Women in Troy, Virginia. On the other hand, 44-year-old Jeremy Todd Pettway is serving his sentence at Nottoway Correctional Center in Burkeville, Virginia. Both the killers await their scheduled release date, which is set for March 2055.
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