BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Two women have been sentenced for crimes committed in the Talladega National Forest, announced by U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and FBI Special Agent in Charge Carlton Peeples.
U.S. District Court Judge R. David Proctor sentenced 21-year-old Yasmine Marie Hider, from Edmond, Okla., to 35 years in prison and 37-year-old Krystal Diane Pinkins, from Memphis, Tenn., to life in prison. Hider accepted responsibility and pled guilty to murder, kidnapping, and robbery in October 2023. She cooperated in the prosecution and testified against Pinkins at trial, who was convicted of similar charges in September 2023.
According to court documents, the women’s crimes occurred when college students from Florida were driving to Cheaha State Park in Clay County, Alabama, to hike to the waterfalls. Hider flagged down the couple to help “jump start” Pinkins’s broken down car and then proceeded to rob and shoot the male victim as he tried to defend himself and his girlfriend.
Hider was later found with four gunshot wounds several feet away from where the murder occurred. Pinkins provided the firearm and assisted in the planning of the robbery, watching from the woods as the murder took place. The FBI and the Forest Service Law Enforcement Investigations – U.S. Department of Agriculture led the investigation, with assistance from various local, state, and federal agencies.
“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,” said U.S. Attorney Escalona. “I want to thank our local, state, and federal partners for their tireless efforts in this investigation.”
These sentences mark the conclusion of a tragic incident in the Talladega National Forest, providing closure for the victims and their families while underscoring the collaborative efforts of law enforcement agencies at multiple levels.