Birmingham, Alabama – Two women have been sentenced in connection with the 2022 death of a college student in the Talladega National Forest. 37-year-old Krystal Diane Pinkins of Memphis, Tennessee, was sentenced to life in prison, and 21-year-old Yasmine Marie Hider of Oklahoma received a 35-year prison term.
Hider pleaded guilty last year to murder, kidnapping, and robbery, and agreed to testify against Pinkins in a plea deal. Pinkins was found guilty of murder, robbery, and unlawful use of a firearm during a violent crime in September 2023.
The victims, two University of Central Florida students, were visiting the national forest on August 14, 2022, when they were robbed. One student was fatally shot in an encounter with Hider and Pinkins.
According to authorities, the women attempted to rob the students, and there was an exchange of gunfire. Hider was found at the scene with four gunshot wounds. The investigation led authorities to a base camp in the forest and eventually led to the arrest of Pinkins.
Prosecutors stated that Pinkins provided the firearm and assisted in planning the robbery, while she watched from the woods as the shooting took place.
U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona expressed gratitude to the law enforcement agencies involved in the investigation and stated, “My sincere hope is that these convictions and sentences bring justice to the victims and the victims’ families, reassuring them that these defendants have been held accountable for their actions.”