The Hattiesburg woman who was recently found guilty of one count of attempted capital murder in relation to a murder-for-hire scheme – in which she planned to take out a hit on a woman who was allegedly seeing her ex-boyfriend – will serve 25 years in prison for that crime.
On February 2, Lin Carter, who serves as district attorney for Forrest and Perry counties, announced that 43-year-old Shameka Hall has been sentenced to serve 40 years in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections, with 25 of those years to serve. Hall will serve the remaining 15 years of the 40-year sentence on parole.
The sentence was handed down February 1 in Forrest County Circuit Court by 12th Circuit Court Judge Bob Helfrich.
Members of the Hattiesburg Police Department became aware of the murder-for-hire plot in November 22, when they received information from officers from U.S. Probation and Parole that Hall planned to have Ariunna Myers killed by hiring a local hitman. HPD immediately launched an investigation, which uncovered evidence – including text messages and phone calls – that proved Hall had met with a hitman several times between August and November of 2022.
Hall also created fake social media accounts to track Myers, and investigators determined that Hall expressed a desire to personally participate in the murder. Police also obtained video footage of Hall planning the murder and exchanging money with the hitman, along with plans to get a pistol and money for the payment.
It was determined that Hall devised the plan because Myers was currently dating Hall’s ex-boyfriend.
To obtain that evidence, police worked with Hall’s stepbrother, Bernardo Loftin, who was able to record Hall discussing the murder with him. Loftin decided to give his stepsister up after she approached him for help with the crime, because Loftin was on parole at the time and was concerned he was being set up.
Loftin recorded Hall asking him to travel to Kansas City to carry out the hit, as that was where Myers was staying at the time. Loftin asked Hall for $2,000 – with $500 up front – for the murder.
Hall was arrested by members of HPD on November 18, 2022, and charged with attempted capital murder. She was taken into custody after she and Loftin were pulled over during a traffic stop in which Loftin purposefully ran a stop sign to allow police to instigate a traffic stop.
“The evidence clearly showed Ms. Hall orchestrated this murder for hire plot,” Carter said in a statement. “She is going to have plenty of time behind bars to think about the poor decision she made.
“I am glad we were able to achieve justice for the victim in this case.”
Hall was found guilty of the attempted capital murder charge on November 16, 2023, during a trial that was presided over by Helfrich. She was then remanded into the custody of the Forrest County Sherrif’s Office while a pre-sentence investigation was conducted.
Hall’s case was prosecuted by assistant district attorneys Clay Cranford and Bryan Buckley.
“I want to thank the Hattiesburg Police Department for their immediate action in this case,” Carter said. “A life was saved, and our victim can receive closure.”
