By Dayo Ade Olusola | M10News Crime Desk | 30 July 2025
A teenager from Alabama has been charged with murder after allegedly killing her grandmother with a mallet and then attempting to break into a neighbour’s home in a dramatic plea for help, authorities said.
Eighteen-year-old Jailen Lupton faces charges of murder and second-degree burglary, according to Mobile County Sheriff’s Office records.
The alleged killing took place on Saturday in the quiet town of Irvington, around 20 miles southwest of Mobile.
Emergency responders were dispatched to the 10300 block of Beverly Road after reports of a medical emergency. When deputies arrived, they discovered 70-year-old Diane Trest lying unresponsive in her front yard with significant head trauma. A bloodied mallet was found near the scene, officials confirmed.
According to a statement from the sheriff’s office, Trest was pronounced dead at the scene. A murder investigation was launched immediately, with Lupton identified as the prime suspect.
Detectives interviewed multiple witnesses, one of whom said they were flagged down by a woman who claimed her grandmother had been killed by Lupton. Another neighbour, Cheryl Edwards, had a chilling encounter moments after the attack.
Surveillance footage captured by a Vivint camera at Edwards’ residence showed Lupton approaching her porch shortly after the alleged incident. Edwards, visibly alarmed, questioned Lupton as she stepped onto the property.
“What are you doing?” Edwards asked, to which Lupton allegedly replied, “I just killed my grandma,” before trying to force her way into the home, according to Edwards’ account to CBS-affiliate WKRG.
Edwards recalled that she tried to push Lupton out, shouting repeatedly, “Get out!” The confrontation escalated as she physically forced the teen off the porch and grabbed a mop to defend herself.
“I shoved her down, and I got my mop right there, and I started beating her with my mop,” Edwards said. “So she finally jumps off the porch.”
But the dramatic episode didn’t end there. Lupton reportedly returned moments later, trying once again to gain entry to the house. Video footage shows her opening the screen door and yelling, “Help me!” before ramming her shoulder into the front door.
According to the sheriff’s office, Lupton was allegedly attempting to steal her neighbour’s car keys at the time. The incident escalated further when Edwards was seen screaming for help and fleeing the porch as Lupton made her way inside.
A deputy arrived shortly after and took Lupton into custody. Meanwhile, Edwards recounted the years of issues she had witnessed at the victim’s home, which she said had frequently attracted police attention.
“There’s always been issues next door. Ever since I’ve lived here, the cops have always been there,” Edwards said. She described her conversations with Trest, whom she had known for over a decade, adding, “She’d come over; she’d have cuts on her, bruises. I mean, she’d say the dogs did it. I’d say, ‘Diane, that’s not from the dogs.’”
Edwards said she and others had warned Trest in the past about her grandchildren’s behaviour. “We kept telling her, ‘They’re gonna kill you one day. They’re gonna drug you or kill you.”
She described the aftermath of the killing in disturbing detail. “The rubber mallet was lying right there, and her face was just obliterated. This is senseless. How can somebody do this to your grandparent who has raised you practically your entire life?”
Mobile County Sheriff Paul Burch said that investigators found drugs at the scene and suggested methamphetamine may have played a role in the teen’s alleged actions.
“Typically, meth is what causes the paranoia,” Burch told local media. “She told neighbours someone was chasing her – when there was no one, you know, anywhere around her. That’s very indicative of meth use.”
Edwards backed the sheriff’s assessment, saying Lupton appeared extremely agitated. “Her eyes were as big as saucers. They were huge. Her pupils were huge.”
While investigators confirmed that Lupton and her grandmother had been in an argument before the attack, they have not publicly revealed what may have triggered the fatal violence.
As part of the ongoing investigation, 21 dogs were seized from the property. Authorities have not confirmed whether the animals were involved in any aspect of the case or were being neglected.
Lupton remains in custody as the homicide probe continues. No trial date has been announced.
Editing by M10News Crime Desk | Contact: crime@m10news.com
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