JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A family is relieved now that two men have been arrested in connection with the murder of a pregnant Jacksonville woman.
Gerod Fields and George Prince Jr. are both charged with second-degree murder in the 2019 shooting death of 19-year-old Iyana McGraw that subsequently led to her baby’s death.
The mother-to-be was three days away from giving birth when she was shot and killed inside an apartment on Justina Road in October 2019. Her baby, Milan, was delivered but died a few months later.
“We thought that we would have a piece of her here, but God had other plans,” said Tiana Williams, McGraw’s cousin.
McGraw’s family told News4JAX that they’ve waited for a long time for these arrests.
“When I first got the call and heard that they were arrested, I felt relief,” said Gloria McGraw, Iyana McGraw’s aunt.
Both Fields and Prince were being held on other charges, but now that they’re charged with murder, Iyana McGraw’s family feels they can finally move forward with justice.
“She’s in heaven and she can rest now,” Gloria McGraw said. “I want her to know that we weren’t ever going to give up.”
Gloria McGraw says her niece planned to attend Spelman College after giving birth.
“We used to have a lot of discussions about her career, her future — all of that is gone,” Gloria McGraw said.
An arrest report suggests that Iyana McGraw was not the intended target and that the shooting stemmed from a drug feud between her boyfriend, Miles Hall, and Prince.
According to the arrest report, a witness told the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office that Prince retaliated after he thought Hall shot at his apartment earlier that day.
According to the report, a different witness told Prince that they weren’t sure if Hall was the shooter, and Prince replied, saying, “I don’t care. I kill women and children too.”
The report shows a woman told police that she saw Prince shoot at Iyana McGraw’s apartment. Days later, police arrested Fields with one of the handguns used in the shooting, the report said.
According to another arrest report, a witness told police that Fields admitted to being part of the murders, saying that Prince was supposed to pay him $1,000 for his involvement, but he was never paid.
Records show both Fields and Prince have an extensive criminal history with prior drug arrests.
They are both expected to face a judge later this month. Gloria McGraw says she’s ready for the day she can face Fields and Prince in court.
Williams said: “I just hope that justice be served to the fullest.”
Hall is now in prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon after detectives found he had guns and drugs for sale inside his apartment where Iyana McGraw was killed.